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Cause of the accident was an offending sign

In a car accident on Thursday February 13, at the intersection of Laings Road and Bucklands Beach Road, I was involved in a collision with a 4-wheel drive utility when I attempted to cross the road to head home following my regular swim.

After checking that the road was clear I pulled out to cross Bucklands Beach Road, and was astounded to hear a screeching of brakes coming from my right, and had no chance of my BMW avoiding the oncoming vehicle. The result was my car was so badly damaged it was written off.

The cause of the accident was an offending sign on the island in the middle of the intersection. For vehicles coming to the beach, the sign is at ground level and shows two arrows, for going left to the beach, or straight ahead along Bucklands Beach Road.

Heading home, and waiting to cross the road from Laings Road, the view from my BMW saloon, which is a fairly low to the ground vehicle, was completely blocked, as many people have experienced since the junction was modified a few months ago. The original sign was on a pole about two metres high, and was The cause of the accident was a road sign on the island in the middle of the intersection says Neil Armstrong whose BMW is a complete write off. Photo supplied

not a problem. The replacement sign however was a different story. Vehicles coming along the main road were obscured from view when they were behind the sign, and in addition, the colour of the back of the sign is dark grey, as are the merging roads, and they just blend together.

Even a vehicle as large as a utility momentarily disappears from view completely.

My insurer, the AA, had no hesitation in accepting the claim, it was paid out within 36 hours. That was the good news. The bad news was that I suffered from shock, and banged my head and shoulder that became very stiff over the next few days. I was unable to swim, and in addition, I was without a vehicle, and resented the loss of my BMW, which I cherished, because of a signpost!

I had to hire a car and spend the whole weekend looking for a new one.

I was annoyed because the road signs are there to ‘help prevent’ accidents, when this ridiculous lowly placed sign obscured my view, momentarily admitted, but enough to write my car off. No sign should do that.

I cannot understand how the council could place a sign that obscures the driver’s view.

The one saving grace was the beamer had a high safety factor, and even the tow yard manager was surprised at the level of damage, saying it had to be a 4-wheel drive as no normal car could inflict damage like that to a beamer.

I have been to the council about the sign, which is now being attended to, and also the fact I suffered injury, trauma, believing for one short moment that my time was up! Neil Armstrong Highland Park www.times.co.nz

Please fix these leaks I note your headline in the Times (February 11) OUT! (water tanks running dry in rural areas) and now realise that although the Auckland Council spouts water conservation, you should see their property Auckland Council/Auckland Transport-owned commercial property at 7 Reeves Rd, Pakuranga.

For weeks now the water has run out of the ground and into the stormwater and has done so off and on for years with a few attempts by WaterCare to stop it. They have been told on more than one occasion.

Added to this, since the property became council-owned, it has been a maintenance disgrace. A burnt-out shop has not been rebuilt but just boarded up and burns/lawns are not maintained. John Crouch, Pakuranga Banks need looking into The New Zealand banking industry should have been subject to an intensive, intrusive inquiry immediately after the Australian Government’s inquiry.

NZ citizens are now paying the price for the lack of urgency. Now becoming apparent, NZ citizens are having their accounts closed (while out of NZ on holiday) without any ethical professional explanations apart from saving the banks money.

Further, the procedures, reasons, justifications for closing individual and business profession accounts is not disclosed adequately.

Basically it is intended to save the banks money by reducing or capping employee numbers and eliminating services. Small private or business customers are being targeted.

There is also considerable and growing evidence that the banks are practicing what can only be interpreted as selective discrimination by closing the accounts of individual customers, businesses, enterprises which have a history of contact with the African scams con fraud over the past 10 or more years yet tens of thousands of Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands – world citizens – were exposed.

Under normal circumstances there is the opportunity to refer the matter to the NZ Banking Ombudsman but how much support will the average NZ citizen get given that the office of the Banking Ombudsman will, or already is, overwhelmed and has little effect especially for private citizens. Edgar Smallwood Pakuranga Heights Christian bashing We have a media and press that loves to bash and defame any Christian who puts their head above the silent parapet.

Bishop Brian Tamaki comes in for heaps of venom from journalists and cartoonists alike. Israel Falau in Oz was sacked because he quoted the Bible in truth.

It seems like the media and its liberalleft have some kind of mental block. They seem unable to discern truth from fiction, righteousness from wickedness. Is it because they reject the thought or even allowed the possibility that God has a say in this world of ours?

That lie is at the base of their fake belief and biased news. Unfortunately you and I have to read their fake news. Of course they will continue on their stubborn journey whatever is presented to them. Ian George, Howick

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