Highway safety moves get mixed response

People living and driving along one of New Zealand's worst highways say safety measures proposed by Transit will do little to stop deaths on it.

Transit announced safety improvements for State Highway 2, from Mangatawhiri to Maramarua, on Friday.

The highway has claimed 39 lives in five years and recent fatalities led to police, the Fire Service, Transit and Land Transport NZ getting together to investigate safety improvements until planned bypasses can be built.

But people spoken to yesterday said drivers, not the road, were the problem.

Maramarua resident Maree Clare said drivers sped and overtook dangerously.

"People have to be responsible for what they do. They pass where they shouldn't pass. How are you going to stop that unless you make people more responsible?"

She said locals wanted to see the planned bypasses of Mangatawhiri and Maramarua go ahead sooner.

Transit has asked Land Transport New Zealand for $43 million to start work late this year on 7.2km of curve-free highway bypassing Mangatawhiri, with 4km of new passing lanes in each direction.

There are long-term plans to bypass Maramarua township as well.

Sitting outside a cafe in Maramarua, Peter and Rosemary Thorne from Auckland said people seldom stuck to the 70km/h limits through the two towns now.

"It's 70km/h through here and everyone is bolting along," said Mrs Thorne.

Transit has said it will carry out speed surveys and consider a trial reduction from Mangatawhiri and Maramarua.

Anita and Brent Buckmaster, from Auckland, said the road needed more passing lanes.

"It's just a straight road, really. It's the same with all roads - if people obeyed the laws there wouldn't be the problems," said Mr Buckmaster.

Catherine and Walter Coleman, from Auckland, said dangerous drivers were the problem on the highway.

"If you drive like an idiot something will happen," Mr Coleman said. Mrs Coleman's view was: "It's the few straight stretches that people are just determined to overtake on".

Waikato police traffic manager, Inspector Leo Tooman, said people needed to give the safety measures a chance before knocking them.

"The changes in the environment will hopefully get the message across to the drivers that this is a little bit different to the rest of the state highway system."

Similar safety measures at Mercer, south of Auckland, and Tamahere, between Cambridge and Hamilton, had seen a drop in accidents.

Tackling the toll
Planned safety measures for SH2 include:

* Investigating lowering the speed limit on the 12km stretch between Mangatawhiri and Maramarua.

* New crash warning signs.

* Excavating banks along the road to improve vision.

* Creating 3m-9m clear-zones on each side of the highway by moving trees and powerlines.

* Raised double-yellow lines to discourage overtaking.