$22.5m boost tackles high road toll

The Government has announced $22.5 million in funding to improve road safety, as the road toll hits a seven-year high.

Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter announced the short-term funding boost yesterday – just in time for the holiday season.

While planning work was starting immediately, any improvements to roads will not be in place until February next year.

She also said the Government would be reviewing speed limits.

Ministry of Transport and New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) figures show 359 people have died on our roads this year.

Genter said over summer, NZTA would roll out the additional $22.5m worth of low-cost safety improvements on rural state highways across Northland, Taranaki, Manawatu¯-Whanganui, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.

Genter said the agency had identified 30 of the most high-risk regional roads.

The funding has been reallocated from within the state highways budget.

‘‘The number of people losing their lives on our roads has increased every year for the past five years. When things are this bad, government has a responsibility to act,’’ she said.

Improvements would include rumble strips, and signage and safety barriers on rural roads where there was a real risk of death and serious injuries.

Deaths and injuries could be avoided on these roads by making some relatively simple changes, Genter said.

Rumble strips could reduce crashes by about 25 per cent and fatal run-off-road crashes up to 42 per cent.

‘‘Despite what many people think, improving road safety is not just about getting people to drive

"When things are this bad, government has a responsibility to act."

Associate Transport Minister Julie-Anne Genter

better. It’s also about making our roads much safer, so that when people make mistakes lives aren’t lost.

‘‘On too many of our roads a simple error, such as taking a corner too fast or being momentarily distracted, can be fatal.’’

Genter said the Government and NZTA would be looking to accelerate the speed management programme – in conjunction with local councils – so that there was the ‘‘right speed; the safe speed, for the conditions’’.

Next year, the Government would further increase funding for road safety improvements as it revised the overall transport budget, she said.

The changes come after a crisis meeting of key stakeholders on November 21. Genter said she called together NZTA, the Ministry of Transport and police to make an immediate plan for how safety could be improved in a costeffective way in time for Christmas.

Genter said the Government’s over-arching road safety strategy was to get more people walking and cycling, improve public and passenger transport systems, as well as get freight off roads and on to trains and ships.

Police Minister Stuart Nash said: ‘‘Police can’t be everywhere. Drivers need to be present, take note of the conditions around them and drive accordingly – with 100 per cent concentration.’’

Information detailing which roads would be targeted, would be released next month.