Roadside hazards in crash statistics

2.45pm

Roadside trees were a factor in more than 100 fatal and nearly 1400 injury crashes between 2000-2002, Land Transport Safety Authority (LTSA) figures show.

Cliffs, poles, ditches, bridge ends, guard-rails and signs were also listed as crash factors.

Upright cliffs were a factor in 91 fatal crashes over the same three-year period, while poles were involved in 83, ditches in 78 and bridge ends in 28.

While there were fewer roadside hazards in less built-up open road areas, fatal crashes involving roadside hazards occurred mostly in higher speed environments, the LTSA said in its October report.

There were 295 fatal crashes involving such hazards on open roads, compared with 82 in urban areas.

In urban areas, poles were the greatest factor in crashes involving injury -- 1073 crashes where a vehicle struck a pole, compared with 589 involving trees, 291 involving signs and 286 involving upright cliffs.

A pilot project by Transit New Zealand being trialled on State Highway 1 between Wanganui and Taihape and in Northland involves removing anything from the roadside that drivers could hit.

The project includes filling in ditches, moving power poles or putting guard rails around them, putting wire ropes on drop-offs and removing trees and other obstacles.

The trial, started earlier this year, is part of the Road Safety Strategy 2010 and would be rolled out across all state highways if successful, Transit said.

Travelling at speeds too fast for conditions, alcohol and failing to give way were the three most common contributing factors in serious crashes for the 12 months to March 2003.

- NZPA

Herald Feature: Road safety