Ra Simeon and Poumau Papali’i, Far North REAP road safety eductors, in front of the colourful new mural “One Tear Too Many” that overlooks Commerce St and carries a valuable road safety message.
Ra Simeon and Poumau Papali’i, Far North REAP road safety eductors, in front of the colourful new mural “One Tear Too Many” that overlooks Commerce St and carries a valuable road safety message.
A new mural is brightening up Kaitāia with its bright, colourful verve.
But the amazing artwork also carries a serious message in an effort to reduce road deaths and serious injuries in the Far North by changing driver behaviour.
The Far North REAPs’ Road Safety team last week revealed its “One Tear Too Many” mural on the wall above Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri building on the corner of Commerce St and Taaffe St.
The bright display piece covers a wall 18 metres long and three metres high, and was created by local artist Sheree Wagener. Wagener’s artwork was inspired by the beauty of the Far North and encompasses the road safety message that one life lost on our roads is “one tear too many”. It also features a new image of Papatūānuku by another local artist Richard Hape.
The mural was unveiled in a dawn ceremony and Ra Simeon and Poumau Papali’i, Far North REAP road safety educators, said the mural carried an important message.
The new “One Tear Too Many” road safety mural is a prominent reminder to motorists in Kaitāia.
The image on the left represents Papatūānuku - in Māori tradition, Papatūānuku is the land. She is a mother earth figure who gives birth to all things, including people - with her message to all road users to drive safely in the district’s roads and state highways to stop any more tears being shed.
Simeon said the mural idea was years in the making and to see it unveiled was a proud moment for the road safety team and all involved with it.
Wagener was asked if she would do a commissioned piece of artwork with a strong message, and the mural is the outcome that will send a strong message to all road users and help change driver behaviour, she said.
The striking image of Papatūānuku on billboards and roads across the Far North had become an iconic symbol the community had come to grow and love and it was natural to have her as the focus for the mural.
‘’The idea was that one road death or serious crash is one tear too many, and it may make people think when they are out driving that it’s not just them impacted by their driving, but behind them there are whānau, friends, and loved ones who will mourn - it’s a powerful message that will make people think.’’
The Far North has some of the worst road death and serious injury statistics in the country, and of the 30 road deaths in Northland so far this year, 12 were in the Far North, one less than Whangārei District, with five in the Kaipara.
The “One Tear Too Many” road safety mural is put in place atop the Te Whare Ruruhau o Meri building on the corner of Commerce St and Taaffe St in Kaitāia.
But Papali’i said the mural’s kaupapa was not about the statistics, but about changing the behaviour of all road users to make the district’s roads safer for all.
It was only by drivers taking more care and altering their driving behaviour that those statistics would be addressed, he said.
Papali’i said unfortunately there is always plenty of mahi for the road safety educators to do in the Far North.
‘’It doesn’t go away, road crashes are happening out there and and as road safety team we wanted to get these messages out there, messages that are by the people here for the people here,’’ he said.
‘’The previous [road safety] message have been around for quite a while and they don’t quite hit the mark for many and the term one tear too many really resonates.
‘’It’s about people considering their [driving] behaviour and attitudes. It’s about changing the psyche of people when they get behind the wheel.’’
