A deadly Taranaki record
It has been a record-breaking year for Taranaki drivers. But it’s a record no-one wants to be part of, writes Leighton Keith.
‘‘For God’s sake, the speed limit is the speed limit for a reason, stick to it.’’ Ray Hayward
Ray and Berna Hayward had been looking forward to a Christmas break with their grandkids but have instead been stuck at home recovering from injuries sustained in a head-on crash.
Nonetheless the Coastal Taranaki couple feel lucky to be alive.
With just days to go until the end of the year Taranaki’s road toll stands at 17, the highest since 2009.
The Haywards know it could easily have been higher. The couple were both seriously injured in a head-on collision on State Highway 3, Mo¯ kau, on October 5 and flown to Waikato Hospital by rescue helicopter. They were two of four people injured in the crash.
Ray, who spent a month in hospital, suffered broken ribs, severe bruising to his pelvis and hips along with back and internal injuries while Berna received a fractured wrist and pelvic injuries.
Ray said they had been looking forward to seeing their seven grandchildren.
‘‘We normally get them up to stay during the holidays but now that can’t happen.
‘‘It has destroyed all of our plans.
‘‘We will just be doing the best that we can and that’s all we can do. We won’t have family coming and all that sort of stuff that others possibly will have. That has been taken away from us.’’
Ray said he wanted to encourage drivers to take care this holiday season so nobody else would have to endure the ordeal they had or, even worse, lose a loved one.
‘‘Make it click, seatbelts save lives. If you are tired then stop and have a rest, take a break and don’t drive in that situation.
‘‘For God’s sake, the speed limit is the speed limit for a reason, stick to it.’’
Taranaki’s 2018 road toll was slow to start. But then it took off with horrifying speed.
In May, Phillip Allan Taylor was killed after a police chase in New Plymouth.
Two months later on June 27, the toll leapt to eight after a tragic head-on crash on SH3 just north of Waverley claimed the lives of seven people.
It was the country’s single most deadly crash in more than a decade.
From there the road toll continued to climb. On July 27, Kyle William John Sullivan, 19, was killed on SH3 in Brixton. Two weeks later 69-year-old bus driver Allan Campbell died in a crash on SH3 between Egmont Village and Inglewood.
Just three weeks after that Olivia Renee Keightley-Trigg, 18, died in a collision on SH3 just south of Waitara, on August 28. The next day Casey Atutahi, 22, died after the car he was travelling in crashed into a concrete wall in New Plymouth.
A month later 85-year-old Ron Schultz died when a truck and car collided on Ball Rd, Hurleyville, South Taranaki.
Yatharth Vats, 23, of India, and Shamuel BK, of Nepal, died in a collision on SH3 near Waitara on October 14. On November 8, Jayden Daniel Baldwin, 21, died in a crash on SH3 at Waiwhakaiho in New Plymouth. Then, on December 6, Barbara Terrill, 58, was killed in a head-on crash under a rail overbridge on SH3, Tariki.
Sergeant Pat Duffy, officer in charge of the Highway Patrol, encouraged drivers to take their time and avoid dangerous behaviour, including overtaking, this holiday period.
‘‘Think of the bigger picture, is it really worth taking that risk to get past someone when you are only going to get held up by the next slowest vehicle ahead?
‘‘Literally, they get slowed down by the next big vehicle or slow car up ahead and you catch up with them and you are actually following them and they’ve made no time at all.’’
Duffy said he wished he had the magic answer on how to get the message through to drivers. He believed spending time with police experiencing what they had to deal with might help them to understand.
‘‘That might change a few attitudes, but I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy.
‘‘Just imagine a family’s loved one is not coming home again and put yourself in those shoes and having to break that news to someone.’’
Police would be again enforcing a 4km speed tolerance.
‘‘It is not revenue collecting as some will try to claim.
‘‘It’s just to try to reduce the speeds involved when someone does make a mistake because the bigger the speed, the bigger the damage will be.
‘‘Your speed will dictate how bad things can turn out.’’
Duffy said the highway patrol staff numbers would be bolstered through until January 6, and officers would focus on speed, wearing seatbelts, impaired drivers and distractions.
‘‘Keep it safe and keep it sensible, we want you all to make it to your destination with your loved ones to enjoy this time of year with them.’’