Target of zero road deaths by 2020

The Government will look at introducing a zero road death policy by 2020 as it strives to curb the country’s ‘‘unacceptable’’ road toll.

Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter made the announcement at the local government road safety summit in Wellington yesterday, telling guests that local and central government needed to work together to make the ambition a reality.

‘‘We need a new [road safety] strategy. We need a clear idea of the outcomes we want and the steps we need to take to get there,’’ Genter told the 100 or so local government representatives at Wellington’s Rydges Hotel.

‘‘I believe this is a transformational Government. It is a Government that can set ambitious targets, whether on child poverty, on climate change, or road safety.

‘‘Clear, truly ambitious targets drive policy and help deliver meaningful change. That’s why this Government will investigate adopting a target of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads.’’

Genter said general road safety targets could be hampered by community backlash to ‘‘specific safety projects in their backyards, such as median barriers and rumble strips’’.

She called on local government to ‘‘be brave enough to take the action that we know is going to save lives, and to bring the community with us’’.

‘‘We can’t let short-term objections slow us down.’’

While the target could be considered ‘‘audacious’’, all road deaths and serious injuries were avoidable, and New Zealanders had become ‘‘desensitised’’ to the rising casualties, Genter said.

The Government would also no longer refer to the ‘‘road toll’’,

"If New Zealand had the same rate of road deaths ... as Sweden, 255 New Zealanders ... would still be alive today." Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter

instead referring to ‘‘road deaths’’ to acknowledge the people who had lost their lives and the fact road deaths were not inevitable.

Countries such as Canada, Sweden and Norway had adopted a zero road death target and had far lower fatality rates than New Zealand, Genter said.

‘‘Twenty years ago, Sweden had the same fatality rate that New Zealand has today. In that intervening period, Sweden adopted ambitious targets, invested heavily in safety infrastructure, set safer speed limits, and today they’re one of the safest countries in the world.

‘‘If New Zealand had the same rate of road deaths per head of population as Sweden, 255 New Zealanders who died last year on our roads would still be alive today.’’

The Government would also investigate possible new minimum standards for imported vehicles and assess whether changes to the graduated driver licensing system were working.

There were 380 road deaths last year, up from 327 the previous year.

Caroline Perry, director of road safety charity Brake, said New Zealand’s road toll was horrific, and the increase over the past three years ‘‘must not continue’’.

‘‘This week, just like every other week, more families will have to face an unexpected knock at the door from a police officer who’s come to tell them that the person they love most in the world won’t be coming home ever again because they have been suddenly, violently, needlessly killed in a road crash.’’

The new road safety strategy would be finalised late next year, and implemented in 2020.

National transport spokesman Jami-Lee Ross was approached for comment.