Media Release

CAMPAIGN TARGETS SAFETY AROUND ROAD WORKS

February 2005

How many times have you approached roadworks and thought oh no, more delays, and felt frustrated.

And how many times, particularly around unmanned roadworks, have you been tempted to ignore the speed restrictions, confident that your driving skills are such that the limit couldn't possibly apply to you.

The trouble is there are just too many people who think that way. And the result is that drivers and passengers are getting seriously injured and killed around roadworks.

This is the situation which has led to the development of a new safety campaign, Safety Around Roadworks, targeting motorists' behaviour around roadworks which was launched this week (February 17) at the Beehive.

As a member of Roading New Zealand which developed the campaign, Works Infrastructure is getting right in behind it, says John Beattie, Works' General Manager Safety, Quality and Environment.

"Safety around roadworks has been an issue which has concerned the industry for the past five years. And with the increased amount of works on New Zealand roads planned for the future, the situation is only going to get worse. So the launch of this campaign could not be more timely," Mr Beattie says.

He says when the roadworks industry first started talking about the campaign, many people thought that it was a campaign in which the roading companies wanted to create a safe environment for their staff.

"Obviously the safety of our staff is key to us and we work really hard to ensure that they are protected. And compliance with all of the health and safety measures developed for our industry has worked, especially our involvement in the ACC operate safe initiative," Mr Beattie says.

"But this campaign has been developed because our people are worried about the drivers and passengers who drive through roadworks completely oblivious of the risks they are taking when they ignore the signs.

"We realise that it's a problem that is simply not going to go away unless we do something about it."

Mr Beattie says although there are no official statistics, Works Infrastructure has for a long time been aware of the problem, particularly as cleaning up after accidents around roadworks is part of the job.

"Last year our guys went out on a Sunday to attend to a fatal accident at a roadworks site. They ran a coned off area and were just about to pull off the site after cleaning up one fatality, when another car came around the corner, lost control and three more people lost their lives."

Mr Beattie says it is completely untenable to for roadworkers that during the process of making the roads safer for drivers and passengers some drivers and passengers are being killed or seriously injured.

"It's distressing, frustrating and unnecessary that they should be put in the position of having to clean up after an accident at a roadworks site. And it's especially unacceptable that this sometimes that means cleaning up bodies."

The research gathered in developing this campaign, including that provided by Works Infrastructure reveals that many motorists in this country are still not aware of the serious consequences of not taking the signs placed round road works seriously.

"It is understandable that road works can be seen as a nuisance, especially to a driver in a hurry. And the result of this is that they see the speed restrictions as an imposition that does not apply to them. They think an unattended roadworks site is open slather. Maybe if they realised that speeding through a 30kph limit around a roadworks site at 80kph could result in automatic loss of licence they would be in less of a hurry," Mr Beattie says.

"And maybe if they had to comfort a grieving relative at the side of the road they'd slow down."

The Safety Around Roadworks campaign is being funded by the New Zealand Road Safety Trust and has been endorsed by many related organisations including ACC, the LTSA, the Police, the AA, Transit New Zealand, Local Government New Zealand and many more.

It comprises a multi media advertising campaign, public relations programme and education programmes on national and community levels.

"Roading companies such as Works Infrastructure have been provided with materials we can use to personalise our support of the campaign, such as ways to let people in areas in which we are working why we're there, why it's important they follow our safety instructions and how everyone will benefit in the long run from safer, better roads as a result of roadworks," Mr Beattie says.

"All the partners involved, like us at Works Infrastructure, recognise the need to make the driving public aware that the roadworks are not put there to frustrate motorists. They are not there to make people late for appointments. They are not there to arbitrarily impose unreasonable speed restrictions.

"They are there to improve the safety of our roads. Our people who are working on them are working to make the roads safer for everyone."

Mr Beattie says people often debate whether the number of accidents that occur is a result of dangerous roads or bad driving.

"Quite possibly the answer is both," he says. "But if we work hard to make roadworks safer by improving our driving behaviour then I am sure the horrifying statistics will reduce.

Works Infrastructure hopes the Safety Around Roadworks campaign will have a positive impact on making people slow down and think as they drive through roadworks.

"Our roadworkers do a fantastic job. It's hard work but very important. As the campaign's advertisements show us, they make the roads safer for us. In the interests of our own and their safety we should return the favour and make it safer for them too. "