Spin or don't spin? It's your call!

A high profile feature in the Midweek newspaper encouraged possible lookalikes of the creepy figure on the TV intersection adverts to submit their photo for a local competition. The selection process is currently underway and it is hoped that the winner will be announced next week.

The competition prize is a paid job, for two weeks, sitting at local intersections looking appropriately grim! The individual will be supplied with the main tools for his trade - a long trenchcoat, a seat, a small bag and (depending on his natural looks) any necessary make-up! A replica of the Wheel of Misfortune from the TV adverts will also be provided. The Grim Reaper will appear on various intersections within the New Plymouth CBD for a two week period running 31st May to 13th June. The activity is a highly visual launch for a local road safety campaign which will focus on intersection safety in the district over the coming year.

The fun competition, which is being supported by the North Taranaki Midweek, has been organised by New Plymouth injury Safe in partnership with New Plymouth Police, ACC, New Plymouth District Council and Roadsafe Taranaki.

Channa Perry, Programme Manager with New Plymouth injury Safe, highlighted that a serious message lay behind the fun competition which deliberately linked in with a national campaign that many local people will be able to relate to:

"We hope this highly visual campaign will remind drivers that they need to be particularly careful around intersections and look out for other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians. Intersections are the site of around a third of our crashes in the district each year, and common causes for these crashes are failure to stop at red lights and Stop signs".

Marion Webby, Road Safety Coordinator for Taranaki, believes many bad calls at intersections are caused by drivers' impatience when they are in a hurry. 

"Nobody needs to arrive dead on time" she said.