Safer Roads In North Shore City
August 23, 2004

Five people died on North Shore City roads in 2003, three fewer than the year before, according to a Land Transport Safety Authority report released this week.

The report found crashes in North Shore City resulted in 51 serious casualties and 426 minor casualties, compared to 73 and 369 in 2002. Non-injury crash numbers remained steady at 1451, compared to 1453 in 2002.

North Shore City's works and environment committee chairperson, Joel Cayford, says the reduction in road deaths is heartening.

"The report's findings are welcome, and we will continue working hard on road safety initiatives to try and bring this number down even further," he says.

The report found that works done by North Shore City on roads and intersections as a result of crash reduction studies have reduced crashes at those sites by 51 per cent.

"We will continue identifying high-risk crash sites around the city and making changes to improve safety," Joel Cayford says. "But no matter how safe our roads, it is up to drivers to take care out there and watch their speed.

"We will also be working closely with police on issues including road safety, after signing a Memorandum of Understanding last month."

The LTSA identified the major road safety issues on North Shore City roads as:

* Crashes at bends or with roadside hazards (37 per cent of fatal or serious injury crashes)

* Vulnerable road users (pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists) (37 per cent of fatal or serious injury crashes)

* Poor observation (29 per cent of fatal or serious injury crashes)

* Speed (18 per cent of fatal or serious injury crashes)

(NB. Some crashes involved more than one factor)

The estimated social cost of crashes in North Shore City has also dropped, from $94.9m in 2002 to $84.3m in 2003.

More detail on road safety in North Shore City and nationally can be found in the report, North Shore City Road Safety Issues, on the LTSA website, www.ltsa.govt.nz

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