Safety fears as high-speed trucks tumble into town

Neighbours on a hillside highway near Picton fear trucks ‘‘barrelling’’ into town at high speeds will cause an accident.

Some residents also complain they have noticed an increase in engine brake noise.

They say the speed limit of trucks and traffic tumbling into the small town is too high and needs to be reviewed.

Picton man Neil Henderson, who lives 10 metres north of where the speed limit changes to 100kmh, said he saw vehicles ‘‘shooting’’ past his house.

‘‘Speed is the big issue.’’ Henderson said he would support a permanent speed camera or police officer sitting in an unmarked car at the entrance to Picton.

Julian Mason, who lives about 1km north of the sign requesting ‘‘please no engine brakes’’ complained to a local trucking company firm Heagney Brothers after noticing an increase in engine brake noise.

However Heagney Brothers told him engine brakes were a necessary safety feature when coming down the elevation.

Mason then raised the issue of engine breaking with New Zealand Transport Authority who said the signs were a ‘‘courtesy request and not an enforceable rule’’.

Mason questioned who was accountable if engine brakes were being used excessively. ‘‘It seems that NZTA are wiping their hands of it,’’ Mason said.

Mason also felt the trucking companies were avoiding the issue and neither bodies were addressing the ‘‘serious safety concerns’’ that came with increasing volumes of trucks and the high speeds they travelled.

Mason said he wanted the speed from the top of the elevation heading north reduced to 70kmh.

The stretch of road from the top of the elevation to the 50km sign at Picton’s entrance, was 100kmph. This meant trucks were ‘‘virtually encouraged’’ to speed up after crawling to the top of the hill at slower speeds.

‘‘Therefore they’re coming down the elevation at a speed where they feel they can only stop if they use engine brakes.

‘‘In the very least, the speed from the top of the elevation needs to be reduced to 70kmph and that way there is a chance that these trucks can stop in a hurry if they have to.’’

There were several driveways that entered State Highway 1 along this stretch of road.

‘‘There are also many families living along this stretch as well as further north entering Picton. It seems the thought of our safety has not been considered and we need to see this changed before someone gets hurt.’’

Heagney Brothers Transport Ltd chief executive Mickayla Karr confirmed it had received a noise complaint from a Picton resident about engine brakes.

She said the Picton elevation was steep and drivers had to use