Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter urges everyone to belt up this Easter.

“The number of deaths on our roads is heart breaking. Last year, nearly a quarter (23% / 63 people) of all passenger vehicle fatalities involved people not wearing a seat belt - and I’m really disturbed our Police still encounter drivers who are not belting up, or securing their whanau.

“For most New Zealanders, seat belts come as second nature, but a persistent few are regularly putting their lives, and the lives of their passengers, at grave risk. This is a huge contributor to road deaths in New Zealand and recent crashes have demonstrated the devastating outcome of not belting up.

“All drivers make mistakes from time to time, but failing to wear a seat belt isn’t one of them, it’s reckless behaviour and it must change.It’s so simple - seatbelts save lives.

“As Minister with responsibility for road safety, delivering road safety outcomes that reduce, or eliminate, the number of lives lost or seriously injured in road crashes is my primary goal. Easter is one of the busiest holiday periods for traffic, so I urge everyone to stay focused, be patient and drive according to the conditions. I want everyone getting safely to and from their holiday destination this year.

“We know it’s going to take a sustained effort to turn the number of road deaths and injuries around. That’s why this Government has invested a record $1.4 billion over three years to upgrade over 1,500km of our most dangerous roads.

“This year, motorists will see upgrades like rumble strips and corner barriers being rolled out across 670 kilometres of our State Highway network.

“And by 2021, the NZ Transport Agency will have upgraded around 870 kilometres of high volume, high-risk State Highways. That means more median and side barriers, rumble strips, and shoulder widening.

“We’re also preparing for the release of a new Vision Zero road safety strategy which outlines the meaningful steps New Zealand has to take to reduce deaths and serious injuries over the coming decade.

“Mistakes happen on our roads, but by making our roads safer and more forgiving of driver error we can ensure those mistakes don’t turn into tragedies.

“This Easter, I’m urging everyone using the roads to follow the rules and use good judgement, take extra care at intersections, and watch out for other road users.”

The official 2019 Easter holiday period runs from 4pm Thursday 18 April until 6am on Tuesday 23 April.

Road Deaths by number:

Always drive sober Stay within the speed limit and drive to the conditions Pull over for a quick rest if you’re tired Keep focused on the road and don’t get distracted Be patient with other road users and in congested traffic Notes for editors The Government has made road safety a priority in the Government Policy Statement, investing $1.4b into road safety improvements over the next three years. This investment includes the Safe Roads and Roadsides programme, which is making 1,500km of state highways safer by implementing measures such as rumble strips, safety barriers and shoulder widening. By 2021 the NZ Transport Agency will upgrade around 870 kilometres of high volume, high-risk State Highway, with another 670km of quick improvements to the State Highway made this year.

2,764km of road improvements have already been completed under the Safe Network programme (Safe Roads and Boost programmes), including state highways and our regional road network.

The Government is also in the process of making a number of regulatory changes to improve safety. This includes a consultation on changes to mandate new anti-lock braking features on motorbikes. Motorcyclists feature highly in road statistics and overseas mandating of anti-braking technology has led to significant reductions in deaths and serious injuries.

Distraction, impairments, and people not wearing their seatbelts are key contributors to harm. The Government has increased spending on road safety promotion to deliver education campaigns focused on ensuring that drivers do what they can to keep themselves, their passengers and other road users safe.

Half the people killed and harmed on our roads did not contribute to the crash – they’re passengers, pedestrians, on bicycles, or drivers who have been hit by others.

International data shows that about 30% of serious crashes are caused by risk-taking and deliberate violations, and the rest are caused by simple errors of judgement.

The Government has required road Controlling Authorities to focus on reducing speeds on the top 10% of the high-risk parts of the network.

Vision Zero is an approach to road safety that makes it clear that no loss of life is acceptable; that deaths and serious injuries on our roads are preventable; and that while we all make mistakes, these mistakes should not cost us our lives.

Vision Zero was first launched in Sweden in 1997. Since then, the vision has led to infrastructure improvements (such as road barriers that separate cars from bikes and oncoming traffic, and safer pedestrian crossings), lower urban speed limits, and an emphasis on safe vehicles. In the 20 years since launching the strategy, road deaths in Sweden have halved.

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