110kmh speed limits considered

A new law has been drafted that will allow a 110kmh speed limit on some New Zealand roads for the first time.

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) announced yesterday its draft Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits (2017) would pave the way for a 110kmh limit on roads with at least two lanes in each direction, a median barrier and no direct access to neighbouring properties.

NZTA road safety directly Harry Wilson said the Tauranga Eastern Link and the Cambridge section of the Waikato Expressway already fit those criteria.

‘‘Other roads currently under construction, such as Transmission Gully and the northern and southern sections of the Christchurch motorway, may also be considered.’’

Speed limits for local roads are set by local councils, while NZTA decides how fast people can drive on state highways.

NZTA has identified 155 kilometres of highway across Auckland, Tauranga and Waikato that would be suitable for a 110kmh limit, subject to minor treatments.

In Auckland, those roads are the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnel to Lonely Track section of the Northern Motorway (SH1), the Upper Harbour Motorway (SH18), and the Takanini to Bombay section of the Southern Motorway (SH1).

The Rangiriri, Ohinewai, Ngaruawahia and Te Rapa sections of the Waikato Expressway (SH1) also qualify, as does the Longswamp section, due for completion in 2018, along with the Huntly and Hamilton sections in 2019.

The recently-opened Kapiti expressway, north of Wellington, might also change to a 110kmh limit in the long term, NZTA said.

The $850 million Transmission Gully motorway, north of Wellington, along with Christchurch’s two new motorway sections, which will cost $435m, are all due to be completed in 2020.

The new law comes after the Government released a new speed management guide in November which proposed new rules for lowering speed limits and altering road designs, as well as raising limits in certain circumstances.

NZTA is reviewing all remaining four-lane motorways and expressways across the country to identify what work, if any, would be required for them to become 110kmh roads.

All multi-lane highways on NZTA’s drawing board are being designed to 110kmh standards.

Wilson said while changes may be appropriate where current travel speeds or speed limits were ‘‘clearly too low or too high’’ there were no plans for wholesale changes to speed limits.

‘‘Not all roads have the same risk, and we need to reflect that in the way we manage speed.

‘‘The priority will be looking at roads where changes to travel speeds will have the greatest impact on safety or economic productivity.’’ While it was possible for a local council to propose a 110kmh, it was unlikely that any road other than a state highway would qualify in the forseeable future.

The draft rule would also give local authorities new powers to quickly set new speed limits following emergencies such as fires, floods or earthquakes, Wilson said.

Public consultation on the proposed new rule would be open until 5pm on June 16.

If it came into force later this year, NZTA would be able to begin the process of consulting local communities on any changes.

Safety campaigner Clive Matthew-Wilson welcomed the move towards a 110kmh limit, saying the change was keeping up with the times.

‘‘Modern highways are infinitely safer than roads of even 20 years ago, yet the speed limit has not budged,’’ he said.

‘‘Driving at 110kmh on suitable highways is far safer than driving at 100kmh on many ordinary rural roads.’’

Road safety charity Brake said it was concerned the speed limit increase could lead to more deaths and serious injuries, at a time when those were already increasing.

‘‘Whilst we might have some five-star roads, this is just one part of the safe system. New Zealand has an older vehicle fleet – not everyone has five-star rated vehicles with all the accompanying safety features.’’