The increasing number of people walking, often drunk, along unlit roads and State Highways is worrying Oamaru police.
The increase in such dangerous practices has prompted a warning from Highway Patrol Sergeant Peter Muldrew who said, while it was good that people were not drinking and driving, walking home at night dressed in dark clothing along a road could easily cost someone their life.
Just before midnight on June 3 a pedestrian walking on State Highway 1 in Hampden was killed.
On September 4 a man was killed walking on State Highway 85 between Palmerston and Dunback.
Similar deaths have occurred in other Canterbury and Otago areas, the latest on September 25 at Methven.
Sgt Muldrew said there had also been several reports of close calls, including two in North Otago over the past three weeks.
In one he was called to about three weeks ago, a woman who was drunk had been walking along the fog line on SH1 between Herbert and Maheno. Before police intervened, she had been intending to walk all the way into Oamaru.
She told Sgt Muldrew she had heard cars tooting and running over the rumble line, so they must have been very close to her.
"That's only a small sample locally - there have been other fatalities in neighbouring regions," he said.
Mr Muldrew said making the decision to walk along an unlit road in a 100kmh speed zone was "just plain stupid".
Motorists did not expect to see a pedestrian in those circumstances, and wearing dark clothing reduced walkers' visibility even further.
