Trucks crossing the line riles resident
A man sick of seeing trucks crossing the centreline on a rural Waikato road set up a roadside camera to film them in the act.
But he says the $150 fine for driving on the wrong side of the road isn’t enough to improve their driving.
Billy Rottier has been living on Old School Road for the past 25 years and said large trucks often came around a nearby bend on the wrong side of the road.
‘‘My partner drives this road every day, she works at Waikato Hospital. I’ve spent a large chunk of my life out here and you don’t want people to get hurt.’’
Rottier set up a video camera in his letterbox to film the trucks including one he showed Stuff on January 15, which came around a bend and was well over the centreline.
‘‘It’s about the speed, it’s about them being on the wrong side of the road – it’s about the safety of the people out here.
‘‘That is the main one, the safety. The drivers are doing their job but let’s do it safely.’’
Rottier approached police about the issue and they told him they could fine the driver $150. Rottier said it wasn’t enough so didn’t pursue it with police.
‘‘I feel that it was an extremely dangerous piece of driving – if not dangerous, extremely careless. It’s scary, it’s a scary thing to see. I don’t know how much difference it’s going to make but I still think it needs to be exposed and highlighted that people need to tidy their act up and drive safely to prevent an accident. I would like to see it [speed limit] lowered but I don’t know if it will change the attitude. A 70-kilometre sign would be nice but still be difficult to police.’’
The trucks are generally coming to and from Coombes Sand Supplies quarry which is also based on Old School Road.
Quarry owner Lance Coombes declined to be interviewed on the issue but said trucks coming to and from his business were operated by other firms.
He said he had been in contact with the trucking companies to remind them about safe driving and haulage from the quarry was due to end in the next week or so.
A Stuff reporter and visual journalist interviewing Rottier in his driveway also witnessed a truck round a bend over the centre line.
Police said in a statement that all vehicles must drive within their lane and remain on their own side of any centreline unless they are making a legitimate passing manoeuvre or similar. The infringement fee for failing to remain with a lane is $150.