A total of 61 crashes were registered on State Highway 6 (SH6), between Richmond and Wakefield, in the last five years.
This makes that section of the road the most dangerous in the Tasman district.
The Coastal Highway (State Highway 60 – SH60), to Motueka, is the second, with 43 crashes registered in the same period. Further along State Highway 60, near Riwaka, 11 more accidents were recorded.
On these two sections, 115 crashes were registered between 2014-2019. In the whole district, during the same period, there were 194 fatal and/or serious crashes.
Travel speed was a factor that contributed to 44 of those crashes, which represents 23% of the total registered in the Tasman District.
All the numbers were provided by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and they have a direct influence on the lives of the people who live in those areas.
“Everyone in the neighbourhood has their own horror story to tell,” says Derek Liddington who has been living with his family within the 100km/h Main Road Hope area for the last seven years.
“It’s got to the stage where it’s just getting worse and worse. Entering and exiting the property, particularly during peak hours and crossing the road, especially for school children, are very risky activities which we have to face daily,” he says.
A petition with 574 signatures was presented to the NZTA early this year to reduce the speed from 100km/h to 80km/h.
“As a group we contacted them and they advised that there would be some consultation going forward, so this is good news,” says Derek.
The NZTA is currently working towards speed review consultations this year along SH6, Upper Takaka to Takaka, as well as from Hope to Wakefield.
The speed review for SH6 on the section that runs from Hope to Wakefield may start this year with full formal consultation. The proposal will be to reduce the speed from 100km/h to 80km/h.
“It’s great to hear that it’s coming through,” says Derek.
“The agency has kept us well informed throughout the process, but it’s terrific for all the residents to finally hear that something is being done to consider the impact on our neighbourhood from the current posted speed limit” he says.
“We recognize that this change may have an impact on those living outside this area, who just travel through it, but something must be done to recognise the increase in traffic volumes before the worst imaginable outcome can occur here, which is only a matter of time if nothing changes,” says Derek.