Skateboarders' 'hill bombing' scaring residents

Cartoon / Rod Emmerson

Skateboarders are soaring down some of Dunedin's steeper streets at more than 50km/h after new smooth surfaces were laid.

One skater has had an accident, and nearby residents say the craze could cost lives.

Residents in Opoho say the new surfaces in Signal Hill Rd and Opoho Rd are being targeted by skateboarders looking for "hill bombing" kicks, and using ski poles for balance.

Dunedin teacher Elaine Kelly said a 16-year-old skateboarder crashed into her car on Sunday.

She and her husband, who was driving, were terrified when they saw the skateboarder round a bend on their side of the road, she said. Her husband swerved to avoid him, but he fell off the board and went under their car.

"We had our 14-month-old baby in the car ... it was very scary."

The skateboarder was wearing full leathers and a helmet and escaped with bruising.

Ms Kelly said he was part of a group, one of whom was using ski poles for balance.

One resident, who had been "waiting for ages for something awful to happen", described meeting them coming down in the street as "terrifying".

Another said the skateboarders appeared to be reasonably organised - some groups had lookouts at each intersection - but people were still "worried someone is going to get killed".

Dunedin City Council road safety adviser Henriette Rawlings said the "hill bombing" was very concerning. .

Although skateboarders were legitimate road users, the law was an anomaly in terms of skateboard safety.

"We are demanding that other road users, motorcyclists, cyclists etc wear safety gear, but skateboarders are not required to wear it."

They also did not need to use lights, and had no brakes or registration requirements.

Constable Louise Pearce, of North Dunedin, said the weekend's crash, on Opoho Rd, had been waiting to happen, and she, too, feared it would take someone to get killed before anything would change.

"As it was, this guy was just very, very lucky not to be dead."

Police were aware downhill skating also happened on other streets but received complaints from Opoho Rd about once a fortnight and had the power to issue tickets for careless use of a skateboard, but it was often difficult to identify offenders.

- OTAGO DAILY TIMES