Drivers on State Highway 34 (SH34) from Kawerau may wonder what the new line markings are that have appeared on the road this week.
The NZ Transport Agency has had herringbone (transverse) line markings applied on SH34 on the approach to the State Highway 30 intersection. The purpose is to give drivers more notice about their speed when approaching the intersection.
The Transport Agency Bay of Plenty Highway Manager Brett Gliddon says “in the past ten years there have been 11 crashes, including three serious crashes, at this intersection. Over half of the crashes have had speed as the contributing factor. Nearly all of the crashes involved failure to give way to oncoming traffic”.
“These markings are useful in environments where an intersection may take a driver by surprise and they haven’t lowered their speed accordingly”.
Mr Gliddon says the Transport Agency have also carried out other safety improvements including changing the intersection to a ‘STOP’ sign and extending the lane markings.
This work is part of the Safe System approach which aims to create a more forgiving road system with a focus on safer roads and roadsides, safer speeds, safer vehicles and safer road users. It recognises that people makes mistakes and are vulnerable in a crash.
“The overall goal is to reduce the number of crashes and the severity of crashes that do occur. Managing speeds is one part to this, as the outcomes of all crashes is strongly influenced by speed” says Mr Gliddon.
