Safer Journeys action plan - safe speeds
Last updated on
13/02/2012 10:55 a.m.
This page sets out the actions for safe speeds for 2011-2012.
Area of high concern
Over the period 2005 to 2009, speed (too fast for conditions) contributed to 32 percent of fatal crashes and 20 percent of serious injury crashes. In 2009, speed (too fast for conditions) contributed to 113 deaths and 519 serious injuries on our roads.
Our 2020 goal
By 2020, we want to significantly improve the management of speed across the network and reduce the number of speed-related crashes that result in death and serious injury.
Focus areas
The focus is on helping people to drive to the conditions and encouraging them to comply with safe speed limits.
Road users need to understand how their decisions about travel speeds affect themselves and others. We have identified three areas that we need to focus on over the next 2 years. These focus areas are closely linked to the Safe Roads and Roadsides initiatives
Public campaigns to achieve acceptance of safe speeds
Public campaigns help people to understand why it is important to manage their speed safely and how they can do it.
Create speed limits that reflect a Safe System
Safety can be improved if we align operating speeds to match the standard of the existing network. Actions in this area will also support pedestrian and cyclist safety. In the longer term the focus is on that the forces of a crash are managed to a level that the human body can tolerate without serious injury.
Increase the use of safety cameras
Safety cameras are a proven cost-effective measure to improve road safety. Making more use of safety cameras will reduce mean speeds and free up Police resources so they can concentrate on high-risk drivers.
Table 4: Safe speeds actions for 2011-2012
| Focus area |
Actions |
Responsibility |
| Public campaigns to achieve acceptance of safer speeds |
Complete education campaigns and advertising that is evidence-based and uses the Safe System speed reduction approach. |
NZTA |
Create speed limits that reflect a Safe System
|
Ensure the uptake of effective safe speed limits in high-risk urban and rural areas, including implementation of demonstration areas as part of Safe System demonstration projects. |
NZTA/local government |
| Enforce revised speed limits. |
Police |
| Increase the use of safety cameras |
Enhance routine speed control, ensuring a risk-targeted approach. |
Police |
| Progress current bids and prepare a plan for the safety camera network. |
Police/NZTA |
Table 5: Supporting actions for safe speeds 2011-2012
| Focus area |
Actions |
Responsibility |
Policy
|
Support the review of the speed management framework by evaluating speed zone trials for State highways and local roads. |
NZTA |
| Conduct a review of New Zealand’s speed management framework to reflect a Safe System approach (this may result in changes to the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2003). |
NZTA |
| Investigate the implications of rebalancing between fines and demerit points for speeding offences (including safety camera offences) to consider if fewer fines and more demerits points would have an improved safety outcome. |
MoT/MoJ |
| Investigate legislative changes needed to allow a more flexible approach to penalties during high-risk driving periods (such as public holidays). |
MoT |
| Investigate options for diverse technologies for routine speed management and delivery. |
NZTA/MoT/Police/
ACC/LGNZ |
| Apply emerging technologies — intelligence speed adaptation, point-to-point cameras, red light cameras |
Begin research trials to understand the costs and benefits of applying new technology. |
NZTA/local government |
Next steps 2013–2015
The focus will be on implementing Safe System speed management mechanisms. This will be done by further changes in the road policing programme, changing the rules that set speed limits, moving towards roads where their design encourages safe travel speeds (self-explaining roads) and continuing with public education campaigns to generate support for, and understanding of, safer speeds.
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