More crash barriers and lights are needed to protect the rising number of tourists and other motorists negotiating Otago Peninsula's winding Portobello Rd, a Dunedin city councillor says.
The call for action from the Dunedin City Council's transportation planning staff came from Cr Neil Collins at yesterday's infrastructure services committee meeting.
He told the meeting he had been concerned for many years by Portobello Rd, which was "fraught with danger" for unsuspecting motorists.
However, it appeared more cars were using the road and there had been a spate of accidents since Christmas, with motorists losing control and ending up in Otago Harbour "every other week", he said.
"The number of cars going in there is increasing, with a lot of visitors and a lot of tourists now heading down to the penguins and albatross.
There are people unfamiliar with the road at night and at high tide in particular.
"The number of near-deaths - and there have been fatalities as well - means we need to take a serious look at it," he told councillors.
Cr Collins urged council staff to consider adding more crash barriers on dangerous corners along the road, as was already present at Burns Point, near the Vauxhall Yacht Club, to prevent motorists sliding off the road.
He also wanted lighting, already present in populated areas, extended along the darker stretches of road between settlements.
His comments came after the Otago Daily Times reported last month three cars had unexpected dips in the harbour within hours of each other - two of them on Otago Peninsula, at Challis Point and Harington Point, and the third at Blanket Bay, on the opposite side of the harbour.
The five occupants of the three vehicles escaped serious injury in the accidents, which occurred on Saturday, February 18.
Police records showed there had been 13 crashes on Portobello Rd so far this year, including one serious-injury crash, and six vehicles had ended up in the harbour, a Dunedin police spokeswoman said.
There were 31 crashes on the same road in 2010, but statistics for last year were not available yesterday.
Committee chairman Cr Andrew Noone told yesterday's meeting the request from Cr Collins had been noted, and would be considered by council staff.
