By Amanda Durry  March 10 2010

Six deaths, 26 serious injuries and 140 minor injuries resulting from crashes at intersections in the last five years are hard numbers to ignore.

It's also hard to ignore that during the same five-year period there were a total of 395 crashes at intersections in the Ashburton district.

It was a combination of those numbers and the lack of respect drivers have for intersections that led to the latest intersection campaign by road safety co-ordinator Rachael Chapman.

She unveiled the new Respect Intersection campaign on Monday, which includes billboards, bookmarks, pens and fridge magnets.

"The main causes contributing to injury crashes at intersections are failure to stop or give way and not checking properly.

"The statistics really got me thinking about what intersections mean to people and whether they take them seriously or just feel they are an inconvenience.

"That's how the concept for this campaign was born, in the hope that people will think about how they perceive intersections and how they treat them," she said.

The first two billboards have been put up on East Street heading north and the Oak Grove and Elizabeth Street intersections.

Bookmarks have also been distributed to participating schools in the district and will also be available from the Ashburton District Library.

Other resources will be distributed through other events.

Pictured: Road Safety co-ordinator Rachael Chapman displays the new billboards that will go around town at the unveiling of the new intersection campaign for the Ashburton district. - Photo Kirsty Graham 080310-KG-008