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A series of car accidents along Whangaparāoa Road have left residents shaken and increasingly vocal online, with many taking to Facebook to warn of the dangers and demand urgent safety improvements.
Earlier this month, a Whangaparāoa College student required hospitalisation after being struck by a vehicle while walking to school.
Whangaparāoa College principal Steve McCracken says, that they have noticed an increase in traffic locally over the past twelve months.
“Combined with our growing learner population, this places added pressure on local roads and increases risk for both motorists and young people, particularly during before- and after-school periods,” he says.
“Learner safety is a shared responsibility. As a school, we regularly remind our learners about safe road use, but we also urge all drivers to take extra care around school zones at peak learner travel times. A moment of patience and reduced speed can make a critical difference.
“No one wants to see preventable incidents that result in injury or damage. We ask motorists to slow down, stay alert, and exercise extra caution on our roads, especially where young people are present. Working together as a community, we can help keep everyone safe.”
Auckland Transport (AT) says it currently has no safety upgrades planned for the Whangaparāoa Road crossing where the incident occurred, around Red Hibiscus Road and Palmgreen Court.
It has previously assessed the pedestrian safety in that area, with no proposed changes deemed necessary. However, following this crash, it has decided to review the location, along with more proposed protective measures further along the road.
“Separately, we are progressing safety improvements further along Whangaparāoa Road, including new central islands and signage between Ladies Mile and Rakino Avenue, which we expect consult on shortly. We have also identified the Whangaparāoa Road/Beach Road/Rawhiti Road intersection as a location of interest for investigation,” an AT spokesperson says.
As part of its Road Safety Programme, AT is proposing minor safety improvements along the bend outside 829 Whangaparāoa Road in Manly after the site was identified as high risk.
Between 2020 and 2024, five crashes were reported at, or near, the bend, including head-on and loss-of-control incidents. Two of the crashes resulted in serious injuries, one caused minor injuries, and two were non-injury crashes.
AT says the planned works are intended to improve driver awareness of the bend, encourage lower vehicle speeds and enhance overall safety for both motorists and pedestrians.
The proposed changes, scheduled for this year, include installing new pedestrian refuge islands within the flush median to provide a safer place for people to wait while crossing the road, while still maintaining access to nearby properties.
AT says that existing signs will be replaced with updated signs advising drivers of safer speeds for the bend from both directions. Broken yellow “no stopping at all times” lines will also be painted along the southern side of Whangaparāoa Road to improve visibility and help vehicles navigate the bend more safely.
As a result, approximately 10 on-street parking spaces will be removed.
Local residents and businesses will be contacted before any work begins, and any updates to the plan will be published on AT’s website.
The community can provide feedback by emailing ATEngagement@at.govt.nz by March 9.
