Wheel of Risk spinning around Taupo

The intersection TV ads’ grim reaper and the infamous ‘wheel of risk’ are making there way around Taupo and Turangi this week to promote a new intersection campaign, with a strangely familiar face under the beard.

More FM Taupo’s newsman Dougal Morrison donned the suit and black beard for the promotion, becoming the grim reaper of intersections. He says he doesn’t mind the suit, but the beard is not his bag. “I like the heckling though, its good fun. At the end of the day we’re trying to promote road safety. People take big risks at intersections, and it needs to stop.”

Passers-by are given a quiz, which tests their knowledge of intersection rules, winning themselves Pierre’s Chicken vouchers if they ‘make the right call’. Road Safety Coordinator Christine Hutchison says it is surprising how many people are getting the basics wrong. “So far lots of comments have been from people saying they are a good driver, but were genuinely surprised at how many questions they didn’t get right. There is obviously still a lot of confusion out there about what to do at intersections, we want to try and clear that up.”

The promotion is part of a district wide intersection campaign for the month of May that reminds motorists to take another look and make the right call at intersections. Three urban Taupo intersections – the corner of Titiraupenga & Heuheu Streets, Kaimanawa and Heuheu Streets, and Kaimanawa and Tamamutu Streets – have the highest number of crashes in the Taupo district, prompting Taupo District Council, NZTA and the Police to take action.