27 May 2013

NZ Transport Agency – Auckland Regional Office

NZTA launches “good manners” motorway campaign for Auckland

Protecting drivers from crashes and delays on Auckland’s motorway network is the aim of a “good manners” safety campaign starting this week, which is led by the NZ Transport Agency’s Auckland Motorway Alliance.

The campaign focuses on four key messages for motorway drivers: merging, changing lanes, and not using a mobile phone nor texting while driving.

All four messages aim to encourage people to remember their ‘motorway manners’ when they drive on the 240 kilometres of Auckland’s network, says the NZTA’s State Highways Manager for Auckland and Northland, Tommy Parker.

“The number of vehicle trips on our network averages around 900,000 every day. We have 2500 crashes annually – five of them fatal. Good driver behaviour is critical, and reminding everyone of small yet crucial things they can do to improve safety is important,” says Mr Parker.

The campaign includes billboards located at 20 motorway on-ramps with messages to raise driver awareness of safer driving. The messages include:

• merge like a zip
• use indicators while changing lanes
• drive phone free
• drive now text later

Mr Parker says that in addition to life threatening crashes, poor behaviour on the motorways can cause significant delays.

“If bad driving manners force other vehicles to suddenly brake or change speed abruptly, the risk of nose-to-tail crashes increases and cause not only injuries but disruption and congestion that can delay people and freight. Our “good manners” messages are simple but they are important for a high speed environment like Auckland’s motorways where drivers need to be alert and aware of all other traffic around them at all times,” Mr Parker says.

NOTE TO REPORTERS
• Merging at onramps – ‘merge like a zip’ has been a past campaign over a decade ago which was initiated at onramps and other key areas requiring merging. When drivers merge like a zip, it reduces flow breakdown, improves trip reliability, and reduces driver frustration.
• Use of indicators on the motorway – un-signalled lane changes often result in the following vehicles having to break suddenly, or change speed abruptly. This creates a ‘shock wave’ effect through the traffic and increases the risk of nose to tail type incidents, which can then cause injury, traffic disruption, and severe congestion.

About the Auckland Motorway Alliance
The Auckland Motorway Alliance (AMA) was formed in 2008 to maintain and operate Auckland’s 240kms of motorway network. Led by the NZTA, the AMA comprises Fulton Hogan, Opus International Consultants, Beca, Resolve Group and Armitage Systems Ltd.

As well as being a first point of call for customers, the AMA is responsible for the day to day operation of the 240 kilometres of the Auckland motorway network including traffic and environmental management, research and development, safety work, and maintenance.

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