Ruby Zamberi’s son drove straight through the Bowler Ave stop sign and collided with a vehicle coming along Fairfield Ave.
Although her son suffered only minor scratches, his car was written off.
Mrs Zamberi said she was grateful her son was safe and for everyone who helped.
The sight of her son’s car in such a state was a terrifying image.
She acknowledged her son had driven through a stop sign but the crash had highlighted to her wider issues around driving and street layout in Gore.
"I’m [shaken up]. He probably is as well, but he was more concerned about his car. I was quite shaken, seeing the state of his car before seeing him.
"To be honest, it’s a big blessing he was able to walk away with only minor scratches. It could have been much worse, and that’s why I’m concerned about the intersection," she said.
"When people are coming through [Fairfield Ave], there are a lot of big trees.
"I know they have right of way, but you have to be conscientious as a driver.
"To not see him coming through could be a blind spot. We have lots of young drivers in town now — that’s my concern," she said.
Mrs Zamberi pointed out various other intersections around Gore which, instead of relying on stop signs, had roundabouts and speed bumps to limit driver speed and increase safety.
She said there were many avenues to keep Gore drivers safe.
"Maybe [a roundabout], a barrier, a bigger sign or a bump to slow people down. You can’t be too relaxed [about safety]," Mrs Zamberi said.
"I’m waiting on my reference number. If they were concerned about it, I’m sure I would have already received a phone call from the council.
"It’s been about a week already," she said.
However, Mrs Zamberi said local government could only do so much, and called for everyone to be a little more mindful on the road.
"It’s not just for the council, it’s for everyone. To be conscious, and be alert. I know it’s my son’s fault, not stopping at the stop sign, but it could happen to anyone.
"It’s just about having more awareness of other drivers, and more safety options and mechanisms implemented in this intersection. Because people do drive fast here," she said.
Gore District Council roading asset manager Murray Hasler said, in a statement, Gore had one of the lowest rates of serious and fatal crashes in the country, but was still taking road safety seriously.
Mr Hasler acknowledged how busy Fairfield St could be, with parked vehicles often limiting visibility, and stated drivers should exercise appropriate caution when pulling on to the road or during high traffic.
After council deliberation during the Streets Alive project in 2021, Mr Hasler said they took a look at various streets and made decisions on appropriate measures to ensure safety, although Bowler Ave does not and will not have any roundabouts installed.
This does not mean there were no safety measures being put in place.
"A low-cost measure being implemented in the near future is the installation of a painted lane line at the back of the angle parking along the west side of Fairfield St.
"This will limit the length of vehicles that park in these angle parks, which will help with visibility and safety on the street."
Mr Hasler said the council had requested funding assistance from NZTA for several safety-related projects, but funding was not approved and the projects could not proceed at this time.
