At its peak, 600km – a full third of the Tasman roading network – was closed due to slips, erosion and scouring.
But for those people who live beyond the “road closed” signs, what does that mean for their car insurance as they travel back and forth? How about those people who work in those areas, or who are on those roads doing welfare checks or helping others clean up their properties?
As you might expect, the matter falls into an area as grey as the Swamp Rd silt splashed all over your car.
However, the advice does seem to lean to the side of good news for those who are doing their best to get on with life.
State highways are administered by NZTA Waka Kotahi, but all others fall under the domain of the local council.
A spokesperson for the latter says the basic message is, if you don’t have to be on that road, don’t go.
“The roads that were closed were formally closed to the general public for their safety, however there were circumstances where, provided the roads not impassable due to slips or washouts, in some cases they were open with extreme care to residents, property owners and those providing welfare assistance to access properties.”
But what exactly does that mean for insurance?
The council says “this is an issue for the insurance companies and their clients to decide”.
FMG’s head of claims, Steven Beale, says the answer is not black and white. He reckons that driving on a closed road does not mean a claim will be automatically declined but is one of the considerations alongside whether the damage was caused by an event that is sudden, unintended and unforeseen, and whether reasonable care had been taken.
“FMG assesses all claims on a case-by-case basis because there are a number of considerations taken into account,” he says.
“Our advice is always to take care on the road, put safety first and follow advice of local authorities leading the clean-up and repairs.”
It is a similar message from IAG, whose spokesperson says, “if a customer has an accident while driving on a closed road, coverage will likely still apply if they have permission to use the road and took reasonable care while driving”.
The company, which encompasses State, AMI and NZI, says the customer’s reasons for being on the road would be taken into account.
Tower Insurance’s head of natural disaster response, Lisa Maxwell, agrees that “if a road is closed but open to residents and for essential travel, we would consider it legally open for customers using the road for these purposes”.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our communities, so our advice is to only drive on roads where it is safe to do so.”
So, there you go – if you’re a “road closed” resident or a good Samaritan, you’re probably okay. If you’re just stickybeaking, stray beyond the signs at your own risk.
