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Horror day on our roads: 9 dead in 9 hours

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Apr 2019, 5:52AM
Police at the scene of the Tirohanga Rd crash. Photo / Stephen Parker.
Police at the scene of the Tirohanga Rd crash. Photo / Stephen Parker.

Horror day on our roads: 9 dead in 9 hours

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 2 Apr 2019, 5:52AM

Police are putting the onus back on drivers to make the roads safer.

Nine people were killed in three separate incidents yesterday. One died after their car crashed into the water near Auckland Airport, while three people died in a collision in Ashburton.

Five members of a family were killed in one crash south of Kinleith, and police say not all passengers in that vehicle were wearing seatbelts.

Assistant Commissioner Sandra Venables said there's only so much police can do to keep people safe.

"We want our communities to understand that every road user has a responsibility to ensure their safety, passengers safety, and other road users safety on our roads."

Five people also died in crashes at the weekend.

Last year, the road toll was the worst it had been in 10 years, with nearly 400 lives lost in 2018.

Venables said drivers need to take responsibility.

"We cannot do it alone. We need everyone's help to keep our roads safer. We need everyone to drive safely and to have safety as their paramount thought when they are driving and using our roads."

Since records began, there have been only 10 days with more deaths on New Zealand roads.

The worst was in 1963, when 15 died in a bus crash in Northland.

Yesterday's crashes saw the highest number of road deaths since May 2005 when nine people were killed in a collision between a tourist van and a truck in Matamata-Piako.

Already this year, 101 people have lost their lives on New Zealand roads. Last year, which saw a record annual high, the number of road deaths reached 104 by March 31.

Associate Minister of Transport Julie Anne Genter yesterday said the number of deaths on the road yesterday was heartbreaking and was not something we should accept.

"Over the weekend, and again [yesterday], we've been reminded why any fatality is a tragedy. Families, and whole communities are in shock and I know there'll be much grief and sadness," Genter said.

She said she was committed to ensuring that every New Zealander feels safe - and is safe - when travelling on our roads.

"While it's too early to comment on what's been involved in these specific instances, it's clear we need to continue with the urgent rollout of safety upgrades across many of our most dangerous roads – including rural roads," Genter said.

NZ Transport Agency director of safety and environment Harry Wilson said with the Easter holiday period approaching, everyone needed to remember to plan ahead, take regular breaks, and stay safe on our roads.

"Every road tragedy has a ripple effect out into our communities, our workplaces and, of course, within families," Wilson said.

Auckland Transport chief executive, Shane Ellison, said Auckland was facing a road safety crisis with a 78 per cent increase in deaths and a 68 per cent rise in serious injuries since 2014.

"The old adage that speed kills, is absolutely, and tragically, true. Lowering speeds and working with police to enforce those limits is a proven tool internationally to be one of the easiest and most effective interventions available," Ellison said.

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