The community is being invited to have its say on potential safety improvements for Wainui Road and State Highway 2 between Ohope and Opotiki.

The New Zealand Transport Agency is giving locals a chance to learn what could be put in place, and to have their say what they think is needed to make the road safer, during an open day at Waiotahi Settlers Hall on March 8.

Safety measures being considered by the transport agency include installing side safety barriers, widening shoulders, intersection improvements and adding rumble strips.

NZTA Bay of Plenty state highways manager Niclas Johansson says seven people have died and 31 seriously injured in the 10 years to June 2015 along State Highway 2, which is classified as a high-risk rural road, and one person has died and seven have been seriously injured along Wainui Road.

'These crashes affect ordinary New Zealanders, whose lives have been affected. Most of these crashes were caused by drivers losing control and hitting trees, poles or deep ditches.

'Most of these crashes were preventable.”

Niclas says safety improvements will reduce the risk of crashes, make the stretch of road safer for people who travel on it, and provide a more forgiving environment for motorists who make mistakes when they are driving.

'We encourage local people and anyone that uses the road between Ohope and Opotiki to go to the open day and talk to the team so that together we can come up with the best safety solutions.

The improvements are part of the Government's Safer Roads and Roadsides programme which is a series of safety projects being delivered over six years to reduce deaths and serious injuries to people on high-risk rural highways across the country.

The open day will take place at Waiotahi Settlers Hall, on Waiotahi Valley Road, from 3pm to 7pm. The community can also provide feedback online between now and the end of the month.

To learn more about improvements the NZTA uses to make roads safer visit: www.nzta.govt.nz