A Wānaka resident who drives over the Crown Range several times per day is encouraging Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) to increase signage on the alpine road - but QLDC says more signage isn’t always better.

Wānaka Transfers owner Kirsty Barclay said installing a large sign which clearly warns drivers of the conditions on the Crown Range and advises them the alternative route via Cromwell is an easier drive could alleviate some of the problems on the road.

She pointed to an incident about six weeks ago when a car stopped in the middle of the road on the Crown Range en route to Wānaka and Kirsty stopped to assist the driver.

“The driver got out of the vehicle and told me ‘I can’t drive this road - it’s too hard’,” Kirsty said.

“I helped her turn around and get back down the hill. I felt really sorry for her because she didn’t know it was a scary road.”

Read more: The Crown Range in numbers: six deaths; 460 accidents, 100kph

She said existing signage isn’t large or clear enough, and improving it would mean fewer drivers on the Crown Range who struggle with the road, less frustration for other drivers, and a safer experience for many.

Kirsty said she had been in touch with QLDC about increasing signage several times, including sharing her idea with mayor Glyn Lewers at a recent event in Wānaka.

Deputy mayor Quentin Smith told the Wānaka App QLDC had invested “an enormous amount of money and time in Cardrona/Crown Range safety improvements” and said the council continues to work with police regarding safety and enforcement.

He said QLDC will consider if additional improvements or signage are required but noted that “no amount of signage will prevent the issue that’s being described if people with inadequate experience [are] taking on the road”.  

“Signage only gets us so far,” he said.

QLDC media and channels advisor Sam White said the council had recently installed a large new ‘keep left’ sign at the main chain bay near the top of the road on the Cardrona side, but he also pointed out the limitations of signage.

“...while important and effective when used appropriately, signage is not always the best option,” Sam said. “There comes a point when the number of signs outweighs the benefit, i.e. people tend to ‘see’ and read them less.”

“This is especially the case for drivers for whom English is not their first language.”

He said QLDC had undertaken a range of work to improve road safety in the past three years, including several kilometres of new safety guard rails, road surface improvements; it also funds the webcam and weather service at the top of the Crown Range and provides daily road reports in winter.

QLDC also has additional projects in the works including an application to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) for funding to strengthen the route’s resilience from potential landslides and look into the feasibility of safety improvements to manage slow vehicles, Sam said. 

PHOTO: QLDC