Whatawhata fatality shows need for ‘roundabout and lower speeds’

Wednesday, 1 November 2023

Regional councillor Noel Smith (left) - a former senior police fatal traffic accident investigator - and Whatawhata Community Association chair Glenn McLennan at the SH39/23 intersection on Tuesday. Behind them is the bridge the crash happened on - it starts about 100 metres down from the intersection and is covered by an 80kmh limit.

The death of a Raglan man in an accident very close to the state highways 39 and 23 intersection at Whatawhata highlights the urgent need for a roundabout and lower speed limits there, say road safety campaigners.

But New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi warns estimated costs for a roundabout and other safety works at the site have ballooned from $8 million to $12.5 million, and there’s no guarantee of funding.

The improvements call from safety campaigners comes after 35-year-old Thomas Wahanga of Raglan - the sole occupant of his vehicle - died following a collision on Sunday with a tanker on the Waipā River bridge just to the west of the intersection. An investigation was ongoing, police said.

Regional councillor Noel Smith - a former senior police fatal motor accident investigator - drove near the scene about an hour afterwards and said on Tuesday “it was pretty bloody horrendous…the driver [of the car] had no chance”.

The intersection of state highways 39 and 23 is seen as a “high risk” site for accidents.

“The front of the car was in the back seat,” he said, adding the car had been heading towards Raglan.

The area through the intersection has an 80kmh speed limit on SH23.

Waka Kotahi is formally considering a roundabout to improve safety at the notorious accident spot and also lowering the speed limit.

Smith said a roundabout was essential. “Had that roundabout been in place the car would have slowed to go through [it] and the impact wouldn’t have been as great.”

He wants it brought forward and personally favoured dropping the speed limit through the area to 50kmh or at least 60kmh.

Whatawhata Community Association chairperson Glenn McLennan said he’s long advocated for a roundabout and speed cuts.

Data showed “it’s 10 times more likely that you’ll have a serious accident 300 metres either side of the intersection than you are anywhere between Ngāruawāhia and Ōtorohanga on SH39 and between Raglan and Hamilton on SH23,” McLennan said.

Chopping the speed limit could be done quickly as “an interim measure”.

Waka Kotahi’s website describes the area as “high risk” and says between 2015 and 2022 the site had 33 recorded crashes, three of which caused serious injury. Most were caused by collisions while crossing and turning at the intersection.

McLennan said the busyness and structure of the intersection meant people made bad calls. “People make really dumb decisions under pressure. The way this is set up is dangerous.”

Said Smith: “My challenge to NZTA is why are they still waiting and how many more do we need to see killed before they take positive actions.”

Waka Kotahi says the intersection has a high proportion of heavy vehicles and it’s particularly busy in holiday periods. It says a roundabout is the “best approach” to improving safety.

It’s website said $1 million had been secured to complete the design of proposed safety improvements projected to cost $8 million. Construction of a roundabout and realignment of SH39 are part of what’s being looked at.

But a statement from Waka Kotahi on Tuesday confirmed the cost estimate had now jumped to $12.5 million.

A mid-2024 construction start was still planned but “there’s no guarantee this funding will be available as there are funding pressures nationally”, said Jo Wilton, regional manager of infrastructure delivery for Waikato/Bay of Plenty.

On possible speed reductions, she said a review of the area was with an independent speed management committee and would subsequently be considered by the director of land transport.