At-fault drivers billed for accidents

At-fault drivers are being held to account by the New Zealand Transport Agency, with invoices for the damage caused to roads totalling over $1 million last year.

Nationwide, 176 crash recovery invoices were issued during 2012, with a combined total of $1.14 million.

While breakdown figures were provided for most regions when requested under the Official Information Act, Wairarapa-specific figures were unavailable.

NZTA group manager for highways and network operations Colin Crampton said when a driver was at fault in a crash, with associated costs such as clean-up, traffic management or damage to roadside equipment or signage on the state highway network, those costs needed to be recovered.

"We have two choices - we can either seek to recover the costs from the individuals responsible, or we can charge all road-users and taxpayers for recovering the costs.

"This is the same principle which applies when a driver at fault in a crash causes damage to any property - they [or their insurance companies] are liable for the costs."

It was not a new practice as costs had been sought and recovered from at-fault drivers for more than a decade, Mr Crampton said.

"We know that when people are involved in a road crash it's a terrible situation for them and for their family, and we always try to be as careful as possible not to add to that stress."

Hastings woman Shona Goodfellow was seething last year after her teenage daughter was billed nearly $1400 for a near-fatal crash in which she crashed into a ditch.

Mrs Goodfellow conceded her daughter had caused the crash, but questioned the need to invoice for costs.

"I pay my taxes and car registration ... surely that pays for this."

Regional NZTA offices decide when cost recovery is appropriate.

NZTA spokesman Kevin Reid has previously said recovery for the road-related costs of crashes would be sought when a driver was prosecuted and ordered to pay reparation, or when NZTA was satisfied the loss was caused by negligent driving.

In the past, NZTA had pursued cases through the small claims tribunal, commissioned debt collection agencies and taken legal action to recover costs. APNZ