Rocks being hurled from motorway overbridges are endangering the lives of truck drivers and other motorists and action must be taken to stop it, says Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley.

“Members have reported through our associations an increase in rock throwing incidents and two trucks from the same company have had windscreens broken recently at Mangatawhiri and on the Kapiti Expressway.

“Just this morning a taxi in Auckland had its windscreen smashed by a rock thrown from an overbridge. The rock also hit the driver.”

Shirley says unfortunately this is not a new issue and the public outrage is not an overreaction. In 2005 a driver was killed when struck by concrete thrown from an overbridge on the Southern Motorway in Auckland.

“While nobody wants to see cages around motorway overbridges, all options must be considered,” says Shirley. “It is only a matter of time until somebody else is killed.”

Shirley says understandably drivers are becoming increasingly nervous about taking these routes at night, and authorities must take a hard line on this kind of behaviour.

“The Road Transport Forum and its associations are keen to work with NZTA, the police and local councils on finding an appropriate solution,” says Shirley.