A lifelong passion for crash investigation

Hamish Piercy, one of NZI’s Fleet Risk Managers, is one of New Zealand’s most experienced road safety investigators, trainers, and advisors, with an impressive list of qualifications and accolades. He’s investigated more than 2,500 serious injury or fatal crashes and has provided expert commentary for current affairs TV shows 60 minutes and 20/20, as well as numerous other news outlets. Hamish started life in Gore and grew up on a farm in Dipton. He spent his early career years working in hotels in Queenstown - so his journey to becoming a road safety expert has had some interesting twists and turns.

What led you to road safety?

I joined the New Zealand Police in 1987 and not long after I experienced my first road fatality just outside of Porirua. It was a horrific 140 km/h crash that is still cemented in my memory and spurred my interest in motor crash investigation.

What major changes have you seen in road safety over the years?

Over my 30 plus years I’ve seen a lot of changes and improvements, particularly with our vehicles becoming safer and our roads better, albeit much busier.

We work 24/7 these days and the traffic on our roads reflects this. A while back you could drive from Queenstown to Fairlie and see no one, but that’s no longer the case. Our road engineering and construction have improved, and our vehicles – including our truck fleet, have become safer across the board. But, our driver training hasn’t progressed at the same pace, which is the weakest point. We need to consistently coach and encourage drivers to drive well, to adjust their driving to the conditions and to be generally more aware of what is happening around them.

What’s one area you’d like to see improve?

Driver awareness is one of the main topics I like to discuss with drivers when I’m running Fleet Fit programmes for NZI clients. I encourage drivers to lift their vision, to look further ahead and to try and plan for the unexpected.

Why do you love being a Fleet Risk Manager at NZI?

Despite the accidents I’ve seen, I’m still passionate about driving and love getting behind the wheel of my classic XKR Jaguar. My role as a Fleet Risk Manager allows me to share this passion for driving and road safety. At NZI, we have an extensive number of tools and resources as part of our Fleet Fit programme, such as our Safety Awareness seminars. I am fortunate to be able to travel the country to share my knowledge and educate and upskill drivers, so hopefully we can avoid crashes like any of those I’ve investigated. 

What can people gain from a Safety Awareness Seminar?

We tailor each seminar to the fleet’s needs and look at factors that lead to accidents, including human error and risky behaviour. The seminar encourages drivers to assess their attitudes to risk on the road which promotes thinking ahead and planning how to reduce an accident. The seminars are just an hour’s investment and can make a world of difference on our roads.

To learn more about NZI’s Fleet Fit programme or to book a Safety Awareness Seminar for your fleet, talk to your broker or NZI Fleet Risk Manager.