The seven crosses on the side of SH3 north of Waverley mark the scene of the tragedy. Photo / Melissa Nightingale
South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop and Whanganui MP Harete Hipango both say the Government needs to take immediate action on the introduction of compulsory random roadside drug testing.
Both are speaking out after reading the coroner's report into the Waverley crash which killed seven people in June last year.
During the inquest, it was revealed one of the drivers had consumed synthetic drugs on the morning of the two-vehicle collision.
"This tragedy had a huge effect on the families involved and on the wider community. It's extremely disturbing to find out that the driver who caused the tragic deaths at Waverley was high on drugs," Dunlop said.
"The fact that we have people driving at speed through our community, high on drugs, is frightening. Innocent people's lives are being lost, but the present rules in New Zealand are completely inadequate and I encourage the Government to move more quickly on this."
Harete said there would be more deaths on the roads because of drug-driving if compulsory roadside testing wasn't introduced.
