Death still stalks Wairarapa roads

Crosses and flowers on the Masterton Castlepoint Rd that were placed in memory of Masterton road crash victim Laura Jessop.

It's still speed, alcohol, drugs and seatbelts left unused that kill people on Wairarapa's roads, but road policing officers Chris Megaw and Dana Johanson say they are "getting there" in the constant battle of trying to save lives.

Mr Megaw and Mrs Johanson spoke to the Times-Age as part of Road Safety week to reinforce their message of what we can all do to reduce deaths on our roads.

The drink driving behaviour on Wairarapa's peripheral country roads is something that both officers pointed out as one of the biggest factors leading to fatalities.

"Country roads don't get any kind of police activity as such, unless staff are going there for a particular reason," Mr Megaw said.

"But we can't be everywhere."

Mrs Johanson added that people were continually pushing the boundaries out on the periphery of Masterton which had lead to several fatal crashes.

"People know we can't be out there [all the time] so they will tend to push the limits."

Drink driving is still one of the biggest factors in crashes in Wairarapa.

"If they have been drinking the natural thing for people to do is to not go down the main road of Masterton and Carterton."

"They go out on the back roads and they are not only drunk but no one is out there to stop them before they do something stupid. Then you throw in a bit of speed and they go off the road and either die or add to someone else's demise," Mrs Johanson said.

Mr Megaw said many people in Wairarapa had no back-up plan to cope with the lack of public transport when they wanted to go out drinking.

He said it was one of the most simple things people could do to prevent fatal crashes.

"People either chose to drink and then they drive or they have to stay."

"Some people's plans of how to get home aren't particularly good."

He said a fundamental attitude shift is needed to change people's perception of drink driving.

"If you watch American movies they are out there shooting each other left, right and centre which is all acceptable in America, but someone drinks and drives and it's like, woah..."

"We don't have that yet but we will get there."

Mr Megaw said the attitude shift needed is a shift away from relying on police enforcement.

"At the moment it's 'I don't drink and drive because I don't want to get caught' but it should be 'I don't want to drink and drive because I don't want to drink and drive,"' Mr Megaw said.

Mrs Johanson said "a handful" of motorcyclists coming over from Wellington have been involved in serious crashes.

"It's much more fun to come over here and whizz down Ponatahi Rd or Longbush Rd where there isn't much of a police presence. They can get their motorbike up to hurtling speeds of 140, 150 or even higher than that, and use our roads as racetracks."

"They see their machine as a toy and they certainly don't buy them so they can drive around at 100km most of the time. It's [Wairarapa] a playground for those types and has caused us a headache on quite a few occasions."

According to Mr Megaw and Mrs Johanson, fatal road accidents are not limited to the back roads of Wairarapa.

Mrs Johanson said many people had crashed along the road from Carterton to Pahiatua because of fatigue and a misguided sense that long, straight roads are safe.

"People are reluctant to stop, they think 'oh I'm almost home, I'll just keep going' and they end up in a ditch on the other side of the road."

Mr Megaw said over 10,000 people use the stretch of road every day so "if things go wrong there is a high likelihood they will cross into someone else".

For all the crashes they have seen, both officers can see an improvement in driver safety in Wairarapa on the horizon.

They say young people are more aware of driving risks than they have ever been - to the point that they are actually more educated than drivers in the 35-40 bracket.

Both said the key to road safety is the same as it has always been - education, check points, pushing a shift in driver attitudes and "putting on your damn seatbelt".