The NZ Government is making changes to speed management to tackle unsafe speeds on New Zealand roads.
Promoting safe travel speeds is a critical part of improving road safety. In the event of a crash, regardless of its cause, the speed of impact is the most important factor influencing whether or not the people involved can walk away from a crash alive. There is strong evidence that a decrease in the average travel speed on a road is associated with a decrease in the number of crashes, as well as the severity.
Councils and the NZTA are already working towards reviewing our highest risk roads to reduce the risk of crashes and improve safety outcomes. Speed management treatments can involve reducing speed limits or engineering upgrades to the road.
The key initiatives of the Tackling Unsafe Speeds programme include improving how councils implement speed management changes, transitioning to lower speed limits around schools and adopting a new approach to safety cameras to reduce excessive speeds on our highest risk roads.
The Tackling Unsafe Speeds programme was developed with close engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, including extensive discussions at the Speed Reference Group. The programme is a key action under the initial Road to Zero action plan.
