Vehicles speeding around blind corners and crashing into properties is becoming common occurrence for residents who live along the lower area of Minden Road and Florence Lane.

To try to stop this, and to make drivers more aware of the dangerous stretch of road, the residents have submitted a petition to the Western Bay of Plenty District Council for a review of the speed limit and signage along Minden Road.

They have highlighted four issues in the petition – Reviewing the speed limit for Minden Road, the increased speed zone shouldn't begin until after the three blind corners, improved and increased curve warning signage for all three corners, and a new concealed road sign on lower Minden Road before the Florence Lane intersection.

One of the local residents Jo Cameron, says they understand that the WBOP District Council review of local road speed limits that was announced for 2019 was delayed, so they hope that the council will include their petition in the review.

'In the meantime, because of the danger of these three blind corners, and the speed that drivers continue to drive around them, we created our own safety signs and erected them.

'Minden Road's current speed limit is 80km/h, which begins just 250m before the first of the three blind corners. Drivers have just sped up from 50km/h before they hit the first bend.”

And hit it they do, says Jo. Just a few weeks ago a car crashed off the road going through the boundary of one property. Both police and fire services were required.

'Since June last year, at least four cars have sped around these corners and crashed off the road and into our properties. We have had to pay for our boundary fences to be re-erected twice. Our trees have been broken and smashed down. Our pets and stock have been frightened.”

Jo says the power pole and transformer were narrowly missed by the most recent crash.

'The old curve warning signs of two of the blind corners are worn and no longer reflective at night. Most of the crashes occur at night, and we are concerned it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse.

'Residents are in agreement that a review of the speed limit in this area must urgently be undertaken by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, to reflect the geography of the Minden hill road, and the increased traffic using it – vehicular, cyclists and pedestrians.

'We have posted on social media and received good support from Te Puna locals. Several raised concerns about additional blind corners further up Minden Road, the commuter traffic taking the back roads of Poripori and Junction down onto Minden, the ‘boy racers' using the road, and even suggested speed bumps!

'We hope by erecting our own safety signs, we will both warn drivers to slow down and increase community support for our petition to council,” says Jo.