Trying to cross where death lurks | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

In 2005, the Tauranga community was horrified when 5-year-old Hope Grey was almost killed after being hit on a pedestrian crossing. Readers waited with bated breath for each update on the girl's slow recovery.

Five years on, the number of pedestrians being hit is on the increase. Michele McPherson and Jamie Morton investigate this deadly trend.

Eileen Grey shakes her fist furiously at motorists who speed through pedestrian crossings.

It's hardly surprising. Her daughter Hope, now 11, was almost killed after being flung metres into the air by a vehicle that hit her on a Fraser St crossing on March 17, 2005.

The collision, which hurtled her tiny body 10m, left her with brain damage and her left leg fractured in several places, requiring countless physio, speech and occupational-therapy sessions.

The event sparked cries by the Merivale community for motorists to be careful around intersections and pedestrian crossings and, more than five years on, Mrs Grey is still taking few chances.

"I'm very, very aware of the dangers around intersections now - when I'm waiting for Hope after school, I park down a quiet cul-de-sac so I know there'll be no cars around," she said.

Although the family now lives in Auckland, Mrs Grey is wise to be cautious.

A 10-year-old girl struck by a car in Gate Pa 10 days ago was at least the ninth person to be hit on Western Bay roads in the last five months.

Two of the victims have been killed, four suffered moderate to serious injuries and the remaining three suffered minor injuries.

The acting head of road policing in the Western Bay, Mark Holmes, said pedestrians appeared to be getting struck by cars more frequently than in the past.

And that shocking fact is probably due to the region's burgeoning population, which has brought with it busier roads.

The girl hit in Gate Pa was lucky - she suffered only a moderate head injury after being hit on Courtney Rd as she walked home from Gate Pa School, and was back at school within days.

And as Mr Holmes says, pedestrians hit by a vehicle travelling at less than 50km/h have a "reasonable chance" of survival.

But when speeds get higher than 50km/h, the statistics become grim: "The potential for serious injury is right up there."

While official figures for pedestrian collisions with vehicles this year are not yet available, anecdotal evidence suggests they are on the rise.

Mr Holmes said a "spate" of such accidents had taken place in recent months, including at least three in the last six weeks - two of which involved schoolchildren.

Last year, a total of 17 incidents involving vehicles and pedestrians occurred on Western Bay roads. Four of those were serious, 11 minor and two non-injury.

And behind every statistic there is no doubt a story of a family affected by a life suddenly turned upside down, or counting themselves lucky their loved one escaped major injury.

So how can these accidents be avoided? As a pedestrian, you can take measures to avoid becoming a victim.

Mr Holmes advises pedestrians to ensure they are clearly visible to drivers before crossing the road.

Choose carefully where to cross - don't try to cross the road from between two parked cars, or from behind a parked vehicle.

And when you're waiting at a pedestrian crossing, make sure you stop to indicate to drivers that you intend to cross. Failing to do so had been the cause of several crashes, Mr Holmes said.

"Stop at the entrance to the crossing, and check out the on-coming traffic. Stop and wait, you can't just walk down the footpath and on to the crossing."

And drivers can also take extra measures to ensure they don't make a mistake that could cost a life.

Mr Holmes said motorists should be extremely vigilant around pedestrian crossings, particularly ones obscured by trees or around schools.

Children could be unpredictable near roads, he said.

"We ask them [motorists] to knock their speed down, and be prepared to put their feet on the brake."

As for Hope, the effects of the collision still plague her.

All this time after the horrific accident, she still walks with a noticeable limp and her speech is sometimes slurred, often resulting in teasing from schoolmates, her mother said.

"But she's been very independent in school and last year she decided she didn't want a teacher aide any more."

Unsurprisingly, the accident has made Mrs Grey much more observant at intersections. But sadly, she notices that other drivers don't offer the same courtesy.

"It happens so often where I'll see people zooming through intersections and I'll say, 'my God, stop!'

"I've learned that people just don't know the importance of being careful around pedestrian crossings, which surprises me, as you'll often see kids walking across them from a hundred metres away."

It was a simple consideration that would have meant a world of difference to her young daughter.

"I don't think life will ever be the same for us. Okay, we've moved to a new city, but Hope will probably always be a bit slow and that's only due to her to her injuries. People have just got to slow down."

PEDESTRIANS HIT ON WESTERN BAY ROADS 2010

April 9: A 96-year-old woman died when she was struck by a ute towing a trailer at Paengaroa. The incident happened as the woman tried to cross State Highway 33, in a 70km/h area, near Sunset Drive.

April 10: An 18-year-old Bay man died after he was hit by a vehicle on the main road at Paengaroa. The teenager was struck by a passing vehicle on State Highway 33, near the McKenzie Rd intersection.

April 14: A 16-year-old boy was seriously injured after being struck by a concrete truck as he zig-zagged through heavy traffic outside Tauranga District Court.

April 16: An 87-year-old woman sustained head injuries when she was struck by a car on a pedestrian crossing in Girven Rd, Mount Maunganui. While the vehicle was stopped, a second vehicle pulled out of a nearby driveway, made a right-hand turn across the crossing and struck the woman.

May 9: A pedestrian was hit by a car outside Woolworths supermarket on Boucher Ave, Te Puke. The pedestrian sustained minor injuries and was taken to Tauranga Hospital by ambulance for observation.

July 24: A 38-year-old man sustained moderate to serious injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Chadwick Rd, Greerton. The man was on a pedestrian crossing when he was struck by the car. Police said he had been drinking during the evening but were not sure how intoxicated he was at the time of the collision.

August: A 14-year-old Otumoetai College student sustained minor injuries when she was hit by a car in Ngatai Rd. The collision occurred about 8.20am as she was walking to school.

August 22: A Mount Maunganui man walking home from Bayfair was taken to Tauranga Hospital after he was knocked down by a car travelling along Maunganui Rd. The 62-year-old man sustained moderate to serious head injuries.