Over the past five years, 19 people have been killed and 56 have been seriously injured on the road.
Tepihi Kauwhata’s mother Wendy was one of them. A two-car crash claimed her life, put her partner in an induced coma, and left a 15-year-old boy needing surgery for two broken femurs.
“It’s too late for us but it will be good for someone else.”
Kauwhata said people also needed to take responsibility for the way they drive.
“It can be the best road in the world but if they’re still going to drive erratically and dangerously, there’s still going to be a risk no matter what. People need to slow down and take their time.
Wendy Kauwhata with her rottweilers, two of which were involved in the crash that claimed her life in 2018.
A new AA study, “Safety Benefits of New Roads”, found building a new road or bypass reduced deaths and serious injuries on average by more than a third.
Seven roads across the country were analysed. Crashes on both the new and old roads combined were compared to when there was just the old road in operation.
AA road safety spokesman Dylan Thomsen said the findings were encouraging.
“When you build these new stretches of road, it’s not just the new road that has very few crashes. It actually improves the safety on the old stretch of road as well and that’s because so much traffic gets shifted off it.”
Thomsen said the research reconfirmed why the new motorway from Ōtaki to north of Levin was needed.
“It is one of the worst, highest-risk stretches of highway in New Zealand in terms of crash numbers.”
He suspected the number of people who could be saved from death or serious injury would be many more than the report’s average estimate.
Horowhenua District Council Mayor Bernie Wanden said safety and resilience were the top priorities.
“There have been some tragic events that have occurred over the years. Especially over the last five to 10 years, it’s been even worse,” Wanden said.
“Traffic volumes and speeds have meant there have been some awful incidents and these figures show that if you do build good roads, people do feel safer and it is less stressful driving in those conditions than it is on the current roads at the moment.”
Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency confirmed construction on the new road is set to start in 2025 and be completed in 2029.
Central North Island infrastructure delivery regional manager Rob Partridge said safety improvements were under way on the existing state highways in the meantime.
There is a new roundabout at Queen St Levin and stretches of wide centrelines and side barriers.
Early improvements at Kuku were completed just over a year ago, and other work between Ōtaki and Ohau began recently.
Median and side barriers are being installed between Ōtaki and Manakau as well as three new turnaround areas. New speed limits have also been rolled out.
“The new Ōtaki to north of Levin highway, which is part of the Government’s NZ Upgrade Programme, will dramatically improve safety and resilience for those moving around or through the Horowhenua District and lower North Island,” Partridge said.
“It will also support growth in the region and will increase transport choices, with a shared path for walking and cycling.”
The project lodged Notices of Requirement and resource consent applications for the new highway and walking and cycling path in November last year, he said.
