‘Bounce back’ in road fatalities a cause for concern
Nelson had the largest drop in road deaths and serious injuries in the country last year compared to 2018 – but police have expressed dismay at the sharp rise in fatal crashes in the top of the south this year.
The Road to Zero Monitoring Report released by the Ministry of Transport this week said deaths and injuries per 100,000 people had fallen by 62% in Nelson City in 2021 compared to the benchmark in 2018, the year before the road safety strategy was launched.
Marlborough recorded the second-highest reduction at 50%, the West Coast was third at 48%, and Tasman District fourth at 47%. These were all ‘‘particularly impressive’’, the report said.
Tasman police acting district commander Steve Collins said that while the drop in 2021 was positive, it was disappointing that the toll had risen this year.
So far in 2022, there had been five fatal accidents in Marlborough, including one where seven people died in a head-on collision on State Highway 1 near Picton last month, six in Nelson and Tasman, and five on the West Coast. From these 16 accidents, 22 people had died.
Collins said the numbers were far too high, and a tragedy for everyone involved.
Of the factors that led to the large drop in deaths and injuries in the region in 2021, Collins said it was hard to tell whether the Covid-19 pandemic had an overt influence. The multiple lockdowns experienced over the last few years had, in theory, seen less cars to be on the road. However, the South Island hadn’t been under lockdown for extended periods of time compared to the North Island.
In the Tasman police district, which includes Nelson, Marlborough and the West Coast, police had focussed on rural roads and the state highway network where speeds tended to be higher, and the consequence of a crash more serious.
Additionally, enforcing lower speeds on SH60 near Appleby and between Blenheim and Nelson seemed to have reduced the number of serious crashes and deaths, although it was too early to predict a long term trend.
SH6 between Nelson and Blenheim had seen only one fatality, near Kaituna in Marlborough last month, since its speed reduction at the end of 2020.
Collins said police continued to urge drivers on the roads to slow down, and to not drive while
‘‘Sadly, the number of deaths on our roads is on track to be substantially higher than the last two years.’’
AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen
impaired or distracted.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Road to Zero portfolio manager Tara McMillan said the fall in deaths and serious injuries in the Nelson region was positive news, and a trend Waka Kotahi wanted to see continue.
However, more time was needed to assess whether the fall was sustainable, due to the large number of variables that could affect crash data from year to year.
‘‘As part of our ongoing monitoring of Road to Zero, Waka Kotahi is undertaking further work to analyse regional crash trends and variations.’’
The Road to Zero Monitoring Report 2021 used Appleby Highway as a case study of lowering road speeds to achieve positive results. Since the speed was lowered to 80kmh, only one serious injury had occurred on the highway between 2018 and 2021.
This was compared to the decade preceding 2018, which saw eight people killed and 24 seriously injured on the stretch of road.
The upgrade of the Champion Rd-Salisbury Rd roundabout in Richmond was also used as an example of a successful infrastructure upgrade. The roundabout, said to be the busiest in the region, was installed with new turning lanes and raised safety platforms last year. The platforms were designed to ensure that, in the case of a crash, a vehicle would be travelling at a low enough speed to prevent injuries.
The Road to Zero Monitoring Report 2021 said, nationwide, the number of deaths and serious injuries from road crashes in 2021 was 11% down from 2018. This was on track towards the target of a 40% reduction by 2030, it said.
However, AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said the AA was concerned at the ‘‘bounce back’’ seen in deaths on the road this year.
While the last two years had seen less deaths and serious injuries on the road, the Covid-19 pandemic was very likely to have played a part in the reduction, he said.
‘‘2022 has seen a return to more ‘normal’ life without lockdowns and restrictions – and sadly, the number of deaths on our roads is on track to be substantially higher than the last two years.’’
This made it difficult to feel confident towards Road to Zero’s goal of 40% less injuries and deaths by 2030, Thomsen said.
While the AA agreed with the Road to Zero programme, it did not think the initiatives were being rolled out fast enough.