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A coroner is calling for more information on wheel chocks to be available, after a woman was crushed under the car she was trying to jumpstart.
Maria Singh was 22 when she died at a home in Wainuiomata after the Ford she was trying to jumpstart with her sister Gupreet (also known as Maria) rolled over the make-shift chock they were using and dragged her underneath it down the steep driveway.
In April 2018, the two sisters were attempting to jumpstart a car parked at the top of the steep driveway at the Wainuiomata property.
There was a rock, approximately 4cm high, behind the rear wheel of the car on the drivers side, and a second car parked close to try and jumpstart. However, when the jumper leads wouldn't reach, Maria and Gurpreet got behind the Ford to try and manually push it up the driveway, and closer to the second vehicle.
The driveway of the property, pictured to the left. Photo / Google Maps
Their mother Gurbax was watching, and objected but the sisters carried on regardless. Gurbax reports that Maria told her she is a "strong girl" and would "be fine".
Maria got inside the Ford, and Coroner Heidi Wrigley says she must have put down the handbrake, as it was found to be disengaged.
She then positioned herself outside the rear passenger door, with Gurpreet doing the same on the other side.
The pair pushed, and the car rocked backwards over the makeshift chock, rolling back down the steep driveway and tragically pinning Maria underneath it.
Maria Singh was 22 when she died at a home in Wainuiomata. Photo / supplied
Coroner Wrigley says if the pair used an appropriately sized chock, and had someone to put the brakes of the Ford on when they tried to move it, Maria's death may have been prevented.
"The dangerousness of their actions was heightened by the inadequacy of the chock being used on a steep driveway and apparent absence of any adequate plan to secure or brake the Ford 8 upon moving it or them losing control of it."
She made three recommendations in the wake of Maria's death.
The first was that NZTA should make information publicly available about wheel chocks by adding it to the Road Code and secondly that the advice on the Government drive.govt.nz website should be updated.
Coroner Wrigley says the website says wheel chocks should be used when changing a wheel but the advice includes "Do this using wedge blocks (or any available blocks of wood or rocks …)".
This advice could easily lead to an unsafe situation: a situation like that which occurred in this case where a "rock" was used as a wheel chock.
Michael Aitken, manager, operational policy and standards responded to the Coroner on behalf of NZTA.
He says while NZTA is reviewing the Road Code to make it more user friendly, this is to "streamline" the Road Code by removing information not directly related to road rules and behaviour.
"As such it is unlikely that information on the use of wheel chocks will be added. However, Waka Kotahi will look to update its website regarding the use of wheel chocks use, along with any other important road safety information."
Coroner Wrigley's final recommendation was that in the absence of any updated information on wheel chocks, anyone securing a vehicle should be careful to use the right equipment to do so.
A chock should be angled with a face of between 35° and 45° that is placed against the tyre, a minimum of 25 per cent as tall as the tyre it is placed against/under, be at least ¾ the width of the tyre and not deform when it's used.
These should be placed behind the lower two wheels, and people should be aware that if the car is on a steep gradient, the chocks may not be enough to secure it.
Coroner Wrigley also extended her sincere condolences to Maria's family for their tragic loss.
