Glass, spare tyres, metal sheets and poles, building materials, furniture, hay bales – these are just some of the objects causing obstruction on South Island state highways and needing to be cleared daily by contractors.

Reports of the obstructions come into New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) each day as contractors are dispatched to remove these items that can cause a hazard by blocking or interfering with traffic flows.

“Sometimes it is as simple as tree branches falling onto the highway, or road cones having been shifted; but often we are talking about heavy items that have fallen from vehicles that weren’t properly secured or became dislodged in accidents,” says NZTA system manager Mark Pinner.

“It underlines the need for vehicles such as trucks, or lighter vehicles towing trailers, to ensure that any loads are well secured. The Road Code does state that motorists must not drive an unsafe vehicle or a vehicle with an unsafe load which isn't tied down, could fall from the vehicle, or is dragging on the ground.”

“Sometimes the reports that come in from road users about items on the road are quite vague and we don’t really know what we are dealing with until the contractors arrive onsite to deal with them.”

“The risk is not only that items or material that fall onto the roads may disrupt traffic, but it can also potentially lead to injury if there is a collision or evasive action is taken by drivers. This is why we act fast to clear the obstruction, or we may put in place closures or traffic management if needed to keep people safe while the object is cleared.”

People can report objects and obstructions 24/7 on the state highway network by calling 0800 4 HIGHWAYS (0800 44 44 49). More about securing loads safely can be found at:

Safe loading and towing for light vehicles: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roadcode/general-road-code/about-your-vehicle/safe-loading-and-towing-for-light-vehicles/

https://www.nzta.govt.nz/roadcode/heavy-vehicle-road-code/the-truck-loading-code/general-requirements/basic-criteria-and-precaution/

https://nzta.govt.nz/assets/resources/roadcode/truck-loading-code/docs/tlc.pdf

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