D Dawson

While travelling home from Waiotahe at 9.50am on Boxing Day, I came across the most appalling behaviour of a kaumatua and his tamariki travelling along the state highway at 20kmh in an all-terrain off-road vehicle near the Waiotahe Hall.

This vehicle with no registration plate was holding up the traffic and was left-hand drive.

Inside the vehicle, I witnessed the driver and three young tamariki under five years old, and a fourth who may have been six years old, holding on, sitting on the tray.

I could see that none were wearing seat belts. I just hope they got where they were going safely.

If their ATV had been rear-ended, there would bhave been dead bodies all over the road.