Tai Tapu Accidents Worry Resident

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30499, 22 July 1964, Page 6

Tai Tapu Accidents Worry Resident

A Tai Tapu resident has seen so many accidents in the township in the last 12 years that he now wonders whether the authorities, concerned are “oblivious of the loss of human lives in the area.” Mr C. G. B. Suckling, in a letter to the editor of “The Press,” says that in the 12 years that Sucklings bridge has been in use on the main Christchurch-Akaroa highway he has noted 32 motor-vehicle accidents, all within a mile and a half stretch of road in the Tai Tapu township. Four of the accidents were fatal claiming five lives in three years.

Mr Suckling says the area is controlled by limited-speed-zdne signs, but residents think these are inadequate. “Ample evidence is available to show that speed on many occasions is excessive over this section,” says Mr Suckling, “and yet the aggressors are almost with-

out exception other than local motorists.”

Mr Suckling says that requests for a limit of 30 miles an hour on that section of highway have been refused. But these zones exist on main highways in Other areas.

“As an example, I cite the zone south of the Rakaia main highway bridge,” he says. “This area of highway is not to be compared with the Tai Tapu area, for it has only one bend where vision is limited, whereas the latter includes bends so numerous as to preclude in several places a view of more than 400 yards.” Mr Suckling says that a warning sign on the highway shows a bridge on a curve, but not the intersection of the Lincoln-Tai Tapu road with the main highway. He says that give-way signs on the secondary road are not sufficient, because the combination of limited vision and maximum speed impose a severe risk on motorists.

He adds that, in spite of accidents, a wing wall on the bridge which restricts vision has not been removed. “Are the authorities concerned oblivious of the loss of human lives in this area?” asks Mr Suckling. “And is the opinion of their staff of greater credence than that of local people who possess on-the-spot knowledge of the area?” Mr Suckling says that what the authorities regard as an extreme measure—a 30 miles an hour restriction—must be established in the interests of greater safety, not only to motorists but also to pedestrians, of whom ■ many in the area are schoolchildren. Department’s View Mr D. L. Hogan, district officer of the Transport Department, said that there were many other factors besides speed,, including visibility, which affected safety in the Tai Tapu area, and the whole matter was under consideration by the road-control-ling authority. Mr Hogan said a formula was used by the Transport Department throughout New Zealand to determine whether a 30 miles an hour restriction was warranted, and the Tai Tapu section did not come up to that standard.