A logging truck driver who travelled the Coast road for five years says something “must be done” about one-lane bridges on State Highway 35.

“It is only a matter of time before deaths,” said Gordon Whangapirita, now living in Australia.

Mr Whangapirita was not surprised at news of a head-on collision that left a car hanging off the Mangaoporo Bridge last week.

He feels “give way” signage is not enough to inform drivers, particularly visitors to the region.

“A contributing factor to accidents on the one-lane bridges is the small signs that indicate who must give way — two arrows.

“These are a joke and totally make no sense to tourists. That’s if they manage to see them as well as concentrating on the road ahead,” he said.

“The old common sense way of first on the bridge, first served was the norm since the horse and cart — and there was no problem.”

Mr Whangapirita lives in Brisbane but was back home in Ruatoria over Christmas and was appalled at the state of the Coast road.

“The bridges must all be widened from Tolaga Bay to Te Araroa, even if only one per year is done,” he said.

“Prevention is better than cure. It would save millions and be a safer road with no closures.”

The pair were remanded on bail for a probation report and sentencing on February 5.

But Judge Tony Adeane said sentencing on that date was subject to jurisdiction issues being resolved.

Sentencing might be in the High Court if any imposed jail terms were beyond the District Court’s jurisdiction of two years imprisonment.

The police summary of facts said Max Elliott and Sam Dunstan-Elliott were under investigation between June and December, 2009, and “it became apparent” they were selling cannabis together from their home in Crawford Road.

Text messages from Dunstan-Elliott showed him obtaining indoor and outdoor-grown cannabis from two suppliers, which he on-sold.

Between June and October, Dunstan Elliott sent more than 100 text messages making or discussing cannabis deals.

Text messages from Max Elliott’s cell phone showed him being contacted by his son, who said customers were coming to their home to buy cannabis.

There were 13 occasions when text messages showed Max Elliott “directly and actively participating in the sale and supply of cannabis in conjunction with his son”.

Both of the accused sold ounces of outdoor-grown cannabis for about $300 and indoor-grown cannabis for $350 an ounce.

An undercover officer bought two cannabis “bullets” (cannabis wrapped in tinfoil that usually sells for $20 each and are sometimes known as “tinnies”) for $40 from Max Elliott on June 27 after initially asking if Dunstan-Elliott was home.

The police officer bought two more “tinnies” for the same price from Dunstan-Elliott at his home on July 29.

On August 5, as arranged the previous day during a phone call, the undercover officer visited the Crawford Road address.

Dunstan-Elliott weighed a plastic bag containing an ounce of cannabis material and sold it to the officer for $350.

On August 18, from his home, Dunstan-Elliott sold a plastic zip-lock bag of cannabis weighing about one ounce to the officer for $340.

On December 8 and 9 the officer spoke to Dunstan-Elliott and tried to buy a half-pound of cannabis.

Dunstan-Elliott said the price was $2500.

But he could not get that amount of cannabis in time and told the officer he did have about an ounce-and-a-half in cannabis “tinnies”.

The officer agreed to buy the cannabis the following day.

On December 10 police went to the Crawford Street house with a search warrant.

Police found 10 cannabis “tinnies” in a paint tin in the hallway and $40 in a nearby jar.

In the kitchen police found 22 cannabis “tinnies” in a weetbix packet and $440 in $10 and $20 notes in a tin on the bench.

A cannabis “tinnie” was found in a bedroom, while two ounces of cannabis were found in two bags in the washhouse.

On the coffee table police found a set of scales and tin foil, which had been cut up into pieces suitable for use as “tinnies”.

Dunstan-Elliott told police he sold the drug so he could get his cannabis free.

Max Elliott said his son received about two ounces of cannabis each week but that he answered the door 80 percent of the time when people came to their home to buy the drug, the summary of facts said.