Transport Safety Blog New Zealand

  • Gisborne Railway Proposals Continue In Dead End Direction

    The Napier Gisborne Line is a 212 km railway which is a part of the Palmerston North Gisborne Line. The webpage from Engineering NZ records that “This line was a major feat of engineering, built through very difficult terrain and generally weak tertiary geological conditions”. It is these “generally weak tertiary geological conditions” that are…

  • Royal Oak Roundabout Safety Design FAIL

    Controversy has recently surrounded the Royal Oak Roundabout in Royal Oak, Auckland, which is shown below. NZ Herald carried an article on 9 January 2023 asking if it was Auckland’s “most notorious roundabout”. The article states that the roundabout was upgraded only last year and had a history of 61 crashes over a four year…

  • Marton Fatal LC Accident Highlights Council Ignorance Of Rail Safety

    TAIC has released a report RO-2021-102 about a fatal level crossing accident at Saunders Road, Marton. On 13 May 2021, a road marking truck was hit by a train approaching from the north, resulting in the death of the truck’s driver. The enquiry found that the company which was performing the road marking work at…

  • Dangerous Level Crossing In Dannevirke

    A NewsTalkZB article has highlighted a dangerous level crossing in Dannevirke at the corner of Rawhiti Street and State Highway 1. Although the article was concerned with bad driver behaviour, it is noted that the intersection with a railway crossing through one side of creates very typical safety problems related to the presence of the…

  • Central Christchurch Transport Safety In Question [1]

    This is the first of three parts taking an indepth look at the lack of focus on transport safety in Christchurch, more particularly the centre of the city, and how this has been influenced over the past decade more especially. Christchurch is in the position unlike other cities recently of having had its local council’s…

  • Roundabout Design Safety Issues In Halswell Junction Road, Christchurch

    A newspaper report in Christchurch highlights possible design issues in Halswell Junction Road. The video clip supplied shows that the incident in question took place at the roundabout at the intersection of Halswell Junction Road and Alvaston Drive / Hamill Drive. This was originally a T intersection as seen in this 2011 aerial view. Google…

  • Robinson Helicopter Safety Highlighted In Coroner’s Report

    The safety record of Robinson helicopters in New Zealand is again in the spotlight following the release of a coroner’s report into a fatal crash of a R-44 helicopter near Queenstown on 19 February 2015. TAIC published their investigation report AO-2015-002 in August the following year. Following the receipt of new information the investigation was…

  • Hornby High School Faces Traffic Safety Issues

    This issue has been rolling for several years. Students at Hornby High School, which is located near the corner of State Highway 1 and Waterloo Road, are naturally concerned about high volumes of traffic on these roads, particularly heavy trucks. Currently an aggravating problem is the close proximity to State Highway 1, which is still…

  • Rolleston Level Crossing Upgrade Proposed [2]

    Rolleston is to get some road and rail safety improvements as part of the NZ Upgrade Project. The key feature of this NZTA Waka Kotahi project is a flyover between the Rolleston residential and commercial sectors, which will provide a safe grade-separated crossing over State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway. It is…