Canty’s most dangerous intersections
We drive through them every day, but intersections are a major cause of serious injuries and deaths on our roads. Michael Hayward takes a look at the most dangerous intersections in Canterbury.
When Frank Dowling had a crash at an intersection, he was shocked at how hard the airbag deployed.
Dowling got off lightly. He walked away from the crash, but later ended up in hospital for a checkup and was found to have minor head injuries.
The next few weeks were a struggle with headaches, sleeplessness and aversion to light and sound. He was unable to work as a computer programmer because he could not concentrate on the job.
But Dowling was one of the lucky ones, because Canterbury’s intersections can be deadly.
Canterbury’s most dangerous intersection has killed one person and seriously injured seven others in the last five years.
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) identified the 18 most dangerous intersections in Canterbury. Topping the list was the intersection of Jones and Dawsons roads, which falls just within the boundaries of the Selwyn District Council.
It is due to be upgraded in 2019 as part of the NZTA’s Christchurch Southern Motorway project – one of three intersections on the list to be upgraded in the works which are scheduled for completion in 2020.
To make the list, there had to have been more than one crash resulting in two or more serious injuries or deaths at the intersection between the 2012/13 and 2016/17 financial years. Crashes within 30 metres of the intersection in urban zones and 100m in rural zones are counted.
In the year to last March, NZTA figures show crashes at intersections caused 828 serious injuries or deaths nationwide, about 28 per cent of all deaths or serious injuries from road crashes.
General manager at AA driving school Roger Venn said there were two main types of intersection where serious injuries occurred: those in urban areas with high traffic volumes (including cyclists and pedestrians), and intersections leaving or entering a section of open road.
Venn said turning across traffic going 100kmh was dangerous because ‘‘the weakest part of the vehicle is the side’’, so being T-boned was the worst type of crash.
Of the urban intersections, those without traffic lights were considered the most dangerous, Venn said. The dangers were exacerbated by factors such as parked cars, poor visibility, and high interaction between different types of traffic.
One of each type makes up Canterbury’s two most dangerous intersections.
The intersection of Jones and Dawsons roads, rated most dangerous, is just over 100m from
SH1, with a railway crossing inbetween. Both roads are 100kmh zones.
Affordable Mowers and Machinery is the only nearby building. Staff member Owen Stenton said he has heard a few accidents there.
Stenton said the intersection was dangerous because drivers turning onto Dawsons Rd from
SH1 slowed down to cross the railway lines and then missed the intersections as they tried to get back up to speed.
When the sun was low, it was difficult to see anything. Stenton, who uses the intersection every day, said he tried to avoid driving there around 4pm in the winter.
He said he did not think the intersection was unsafe if drivers were careful; ‘‘you follow the road rules, you’re alright’’.
The second most dangerous intersection is the roundabout at the bottom of Dyers Pass Rd, with seven crashes causing seven serious injuries. It is one of four intersections in the list within the Christchurch City Council (CCC) boundaries.
Mike Pero Real Estate Cashmere is within 50 metres. Real estate salesperson Christian O’Malley said he thought the intersection could be on the list because it had features ‘‘that aren’t like any other intersection’’ in the region.
He was referring to the steep hill which leads into the roundabout and the large number of cyclists that use the climb up Dyers Pass Rd as a training ride.
CCC acting head of transport Lynette Ellis said there were currently no plans to update the intersection.
Third most dangerous is the SH1 and Weedons Ross Rd intersection in Selwyn, which will be upgraded as part of NZTA’s Christchurch Southern Motorway project.
The Blenheim Rd and Whiteleigh Ave intersection was ranked fourth most dangerous with six crashes resulting in six serious injuries.
Ellis said it would be upgraded as part of a planned upgrade to Whiteleigh Ave which was due to start in 2021. She said what the work would look like had not been determined as the project was yet to start.
Fatalities
The most lethal intersection was at Skewbridge and Flaxton roads in the Waimakariri, where three people have died in two crashes. The Waimakariri intersection of Tram and Giles roads was second most deadly, with two deaths and one serious injury from three crashes.
Waimakariri District Council communications manager Matt McIlraith said improvement works to realign the Skewbridge and Flaxton roads intersection was carried out in 2006/7.
The Tram and Giles roads intersection was upgraded in 2009, when a right-hand turn bay was added and fences relocated. In 2010, a tree plantation was cleared to improve line of sight.
McIlraith said there had been ‘‘a significant increases in traffic volumes’’ at these intersections over the last few years that had increased the risk.
He said route improvements for both intersections were part of the council’s key improvements programme for 2018-21.
A number of intersections in the district had seen improvements in the past few years. Audits and intersection and route risk assessments were conducted regularly, said McIlraith.
Intersections in the Waimakariri were the sites of most of the fatal crashes on the list, despite generally having a lower number of overall crashes than intersections in other districts.
Driver behaviour the best fix
In relation to making physical safety improvements at intersections to reduce risks, Venn said there was ‘‘no panacea’’ as every junction was different.
He said the ‘‘easiest way to improve safety is for the drivers to take more care’’ as it was ‘‘drivers that kill pedestrians and other drivers’’.
‘‘Drivers need to take more ownership of their own safety and their own risk assessment, and drive according to the road conditions.’’
Venn said it came down to driver awareness (including blind spots, other road users and surroundings) and getting rid of distractions.
He recommended people to take a refresher driving course at some point as rules and techniques changed over time but ‘‘most people don’t do any training once they pass their [driving] test’’.
For Frank Dowling, a crash one morning in October caused a ‘‘fairly big mess’’ and changed his whole outlook on driving.
Since then, Dowling has ‘‘totally changed’’ the way he drives. He is much more defensive, giving cars and cyclists a wide berth, and does not assume other drivers will act as they should.
Dowling was driving down Blenheim Rd at about 60kmh when he hit a car that turned in front of him into Annex Rd.
The junction is 500m east of the SH73 and Blenheim Rd intersection, ranked sixth on the list with three crashes causing five serious injuries.
Dowling said it was lucky there were no passengers in the other car as he hit their passenger door, which caved right into where a passenger would sit.
‘‘It just really made me aware of a 60 [kmh] on 60 [kmh] crash, it just wrote the car off instantly.’’
Though Dowling walked away from the crash, he was later found to have minor head injuries.
He said the next few weeks were ‘‘like being hungover’’ all the time.
He had constant headaches, could not sleep properly, and avoided light or sound.
He said he found himself making silly mistakes; he would go to make dinner for his flat and end up bringing out bowls of ice cream.
The computer programmer said he could not work as he ‘‘couldn’t handle maths or anything abstract’’ while he was recovering.