Time for NZ to adopt best practice speed limits

A recently released OECD report highlights just how unsafe New Zealand’s speed limits are. The Speed and Crash Risk report prepared by the International Transport Forum includes recommendations to implement safer speeds; 30-40 km/h in built up areas where there is a mix of vulnerable road users and motor vehicle traffic, and 70-80 km/h on rural roads without median barrier.

MOVEMENT’s Transport Planner Bevan Woodward says “New Zealand’s 100 km/h rural roads are often dangerous and intimidating. Every day there are crashes which cause significant delays and congestion. Safer speeds are the most cost-effective and immediate treatment for reducing crashes and improving road safety.”

Safer speeds reduce both the number of crashes, and their consequences, says Patrick Morgan, Cycling Action Network spokesman. "Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, so we need to make sure that no-one is seriously harmed as a result. Safer speeds are a matter of life and death."

Lucinda Rees, NZ School Speeds says “Safer speeds give New Zealanders more transport options. This is significant because New Zealand is one of the most car dependent countries in the world, resulting in a wide range of issues such as obesity, pollution, traffic congestion and the expense of vehicle ownership.”

ENDS

Speed and Crash Risk report: https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/speed-crash-risk.pdf

For active modes a third of deaths occur on 100 km/h roads, which is significant given most walking/cycling activity still occurs in urban areas. Approximately 75% of motor vehicle fatalities occur on 100km/h roads.

NZTA Road Death statistics year to date: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/road-deaths/toll.html

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