By Gerald Ford
A Wairarapa road safety advocate was last week honoured for 28 years of service helping raise awareness of safety issues in the region.
Chris Horrocks has been a member of the Wairarapa Road Safety Council since its inauguration in 1988.
He had been a member of the Wairarapa AA at the time and became the AA representative of the new body, which included the district councils of Masterton, Carterton and South Wairarapa, as well as police, fire, ambulance and other bodies such as public health, ACC, Woops (now Age Concern), and a cycling body.
“I’ve enjoyed my association as AA’s representative,” Mr Horrocks said after he was presented with the award at a ceremony in Masterton on Thursday.
“I find with (road safety coordinators) Bruce Pauling and Holly McGeorge … I find their drive and enthusiasm has given me a great drive and enthusiasm to contribute as much as I can on this committee, along with my fellow members,” Mr Horrocks said.
“I find it so exciting because there is so much activity those two are contributing in their role – all towards the improvement of road safety in Wairarapa.
Mr Horrocks listed the co-ordinators’ work with Sadd – formerly Students Against Driving Drunk, now Students Against Dangerous Driving – in all the Wairarapa secondary schools.
There was also “kids in primary schools with hazard jackets”, a Rotary youth driver awareness award, motorcycle safety programmes, signs with road safety messages, and “hammering Joe Public to drive to the conditions”.
“There are all the continual messages and activities …to encourage all those in charge of motor vehicles and bikes to take charge of those things that might cause an accident.”
Mr Horrocks singled out Wairarapa Road Safety Council Sandy Walker, of the Road Transport Association, for his work providing information on the experience of truck drivers on the Rimutaka Hill Rd “and other areas of concern”.
Other projects have included child car seat advice and encouraging car dealers, through the Car Fit project, to ensure that buyers, especially older ones, have their vehicle’s seat and steering wheel correctly fitted.
