Fed Farmers calls for action on making rural roads safer

The state of our rural roads should be of concern to all New Zealanders — because all New Zealanders use rural roads, Federated Farmers vice president Karen Williams says.

“It’s easy to think that these are rural people just being affected — they’re not. This is everyone, urban and rural,” she told The Country’s Rowena Duncum.

Coroner Marcus Elliott has called for a national review of rural intersections after the death of a woman and her two babies in a highspeed crash near Ashburton in April 2019.

Williams, who is Federated Farmers’ transport spokeswoman, was in Ashburton when the coroner’s report was released. She visited the crash site.

“I just want to acknowledge the tragedy that occurred here. Three lives lost; a mum and her two babies. This is something we’ve got to turn around.”

The inquest found there were 79 similar intersections in the Ashburton district. The coroner recommended all needed reviewing.

Williams said this would “play out around the whole country”.

“We need to make sure that we’ve got the right markings and signage so drivers are well alerted and are able to slow down and make intersections work how they’re supposed to.”

Williams said Ashburton farmers had told her that some roads had potholes so large that vehicles had to move to the opposite side of the road to avoid them. It was stories like these that brought the coroner’s recommendations into focus, she said.

“It’s time to find out where these repairs are needed and to schedule them into work programmes.”

While the Government’s Road to Zero message was admirable, it needed to be more than just an awareness campaign, Williams said.

“This Government has a responsibility to get in behind that [message] and that’s not just about these intersections — it’s the state of our rural roads as well.”