Drivers are being urged to take care on Canterbury's icy roads after a spike in vehicles hitting power poles.
MainPower, a Rangiora-based electricity distribution company, says icy conditions led to four separate car versus pole crashes in just three hours recently.
Damien Whiffen, acting chief executive of MainPower, said the crashes were inconvenient, costly, dangerous and disruptive.
"Each pole replacement can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 or more, depending on the type of pole. And that’s before you factor in the social cost.’’
When a vehicle strikes a pole, MainPower’s crews are often the first on the scene, arriving before emergency services.
In serious or fatal crashes, workers must wait for crash investigators to arrive, sometimes for hours, before repairs can begin.
A standard repair takes around five hours and involves a team of three or four ‘lineys’ or overhead workers, traffic management, and sometimes subsurface crews if the road or landscape is damaged.
If a transformer pole is involved or multiple poles are affected, repairs can stretch to 10 hours or more.
Whiffen says beyond the financial toll, these incidents can leave entire communities without power.
"Medically dependent customers may need to leave their homes to access lifesaving equipment elsewhere," he says.
"We really encourage everyone to have a No Power Plan.
"It’s similar to an emergency kit, but on a smaller scale - and can be referred to during planned power outages as well as unexpected power cuts.
"You should know where your torch is, for example, and be aware of simple tips like keeping your freezer closed during the outage.
"A No Power Plan can save lives and greatly reduce the inconvenience of an outage.’’
MainPower also reminds drivers that hitting a pole doesn’t absolve them of responsibility.
Those involved are invoiced for the damage, and if they’re uninsured or driving under the influence, they may be personally liable.
"It’s not uncommon for drivers to flee the scene,’’ Whiffen says.
"A recent crash on Powers Road – ironically named – took out four poles and power and services to multiple properties.
"The driver was long gone by the time our team arrived, so that cost to repair is now socialised across the entire network."
