"It was only a matter of time."
It's a phrase used often when it comes to matters of public safety and one we have heard again this week after an elderly man was hit by a car on a highway pedestrian crossing.
Ron Lambert, 79, was using the controlled crossing on State Highway
2, outside the Bethlehem Shopping Centre, on Tuesday morning when he was struck by a car. The man hit the windscreen of the car with such force that he was flung through the air. This morning he was in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
While it is not yet known if it was the pedestrian or driver at fault, what is known is that having a pedestrian crossing on a four-lane state highway is risky business. Retailers and shoppers say it is a dangerous section of road with drivers regularly speeding through what they say is a poorly marked crossing.
One even said they were not surprised when they heard someone had been hit at the crossing.
Some business owners opposed the four-laning of the highway, which was completed in November 2010, saying the area would become a "race track" with vehicles racing each other from roundabout to roundabout.
Now, they say that's exactly what happened.
The New Zealand Transport Agency says it has yet to receive any official complaints about the crossing but its officials should take heed of the issues business owners in the area are so quick to point out.
Every day these local people see risks taken by drivers and pedestrians. They know the chances of these foolish moves turning nasty are high.
The Bay of Plenty Times' own sting after the accident twice showed cars not stopping for pedestrians over a period of only 30 minutes.
This is a risk no driver should be willing to take.
The NZTA must take these concerns seriously and take the necessary actions to ensure no one else is injured at this crossing.
In the meantime, it is up to drivers and pedestrians alike to be extra vigilant at all crossings. The last thing anyone wants is to be saying: "It was only a matter of time before someone was killed."
