New safety barriers alongside a state highway near the Horowhenua town of Levin are making residents feel anything but safe.
A truck rumbles along SH57 near Levin, with the new barriers on both sides of the road. Photo: RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
They say turning into their properties has become a daredevil act, but roading officials say they will get used to the new road layout, which actually gives them more room.
State Highway 57 is a busy road used by many when travelling between Palmerston North and Wellington to bypass Levin.
Barriers have sprung up alongside sections of it to the south of the town leaving residents, such as Molly Page, nervous about turning right into their driveways.
"What's different is there's nowhere to pull off the road," she said.
"Before the barriers went in we had a slight area where we could pull to the left and get ourselves off the road and wait until the road is clear to turn right. Now, there's nothing, absolutely nothing."
Page has lived on the road for more than 20 years, but now feels nervous entering the driveway half a dozen properties share.
She said with less room on the left shoulder - residents can no longer pull right over to the grass verge - she came to a stop in the middle of the road, waiting to turn right. This angered motorists behind her, and she hoped they would see her and stop before driving into the back of her vehicle.
Drivers are supposed to do 50 kmh at the moment during roadworks on that section of SH57, but RNZ did not see any going that slow this week in what was normally a 100 kmh zone, with plenty of trucks rumbling by.
"This can be a racing road. People travel very fast, so it's not uncommon that somebody comes along at 120 kmh," Page said.
"We're sitting in the middle of that road? What do you do? Do they see you? Are they going to see you?"
Page said she started slowing several hundred metres before her driveway and would even turn on her hazard lights ahead of a right turn home.
Molly Page and John Andrews are concerned the new barrier on the side of SH57 means they don't have room to pull over before turning into their driveways. Photo: RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
The road was particularly busy during the morning and evening commuter peaks, and during weekends.
Neighbour John Andrews said he felt he was in the hands of other drivers and their abilities when he turned into his driveway.
"It's not impossible, but it's uncomfortable and we're not sure what the person driving the other vehicle (is doing). How are they going to react to you waiting?"
He said he was told by a roading official the new barriers "ticked all the boxes", but wondered what that meant.
AA Manawatū district councillor Chris Clarke had no answers about what residents such as Page and Andrews should do.
"If they have a small car and if they get as close to the barrier as they could there would possibly be room for another small car to pass - definitely not a larger car or a truck."
The AA had taken many concerns about such barriers to Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Clarke said.
Waka Kotahi director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said the road was wider than it was previously, and the barriers and wider, painted centre lines were safety features.
There was now a 1.5 metre shoulder to the left of the road that should leave enough room for people to safely pull over before turning, however, getting used to new barriers was not easy, she said.
"There's something that's known as shying. When we install new safety barriers, particularly along the side of the road, but even in the middle, it's often accompanied by what's termed a shying effect.
"People don't like to travel too close to them initially, but over time, as people get used to them, they become more confident they can pull right over towards them quite safely."
Waka Kotahi staff would get in touch with residents to talk through their worries, Stewart said.
"Waka Kotahi is committed to working with them. We want to understand the specific site concerns that they have in more detail and see if there is anything further that is required or can be done to help them feel more safe when they access their properties or come out on to the state highway."
Roadside safety barriers were highly effective at preventing deaths and serious injuries, she said.
