Multi-agency speed campaign nets impressive results

A recent speed billboard campaign designed at North Shore City Council in partnership with ACC and NZ Police, has achieved impressive results.

Billboards urging motorists to ‘slow down’ were installed in April at six high risk crash sites on the North Shore.

Each of the billboards were specifically designed for their location with the various models photographed against the location back drop to make more impact and messages tailored to the risks of the site.

Speed counts taken at the billboard sites, before and during the two month campaign period, have recorded speed reductions at all sites with one site recording a massive 42percent speed decrease.

This speed decrease was recorded along Paremoremo Road where motorists approach a corner directly after the installed billboard. The motorists adjusted their speed in large numbers to achieve this impressive result.

Waipa Street (Birkenhead) and Deep Creek Road (Torbay) also recorded eight and seven percent positive shifts in motorist compliance with their area speed limits.

In addition to billboards, there were also radio adverts warning drivers of the dangers of excessive speed, as well as a series of speed enforcement blitzes carried out by the Police.

Senior Police Sergeant Shanan Gray says, “Speed management is not all about enforcement - it’s also about educating and reminding people of their obligations to themselves and others.”

“These results prove that educational style campaigns do work and that a multi-agency approach can lead to improved outcomes for everyone involved - and more importantly the communities we serve to protect.”

Research has proven that if you reduce speed you reduce both the severity of crashes and the actual number of crashes.

Katrina van der Wende, an Injury Prevention Consultant at ACC, says speed reduction messages and education are important as too many motorists still have misguided assumptions around the risks of speeding.

“Many people believe that so long as they do not exceed the speed limit by more than 10km/h they are driving safely. However, statistics paint a different picture,” says Ms van der Wende.

“Every kilometre over the speed limit will increase the risk a driver poses to themselves, their passengers and other road users.”

North Shore City Council Road Safety Co-ordinator, Jamie Adkins, notes that the three most successful billboards featured local people – a police officer and a four year old girl standing in the middle of Deep Creek Road.

“Part of the reason for the success of this billboard campaign is that it depicted people drivers didn’t wish to run into so to speak.”

“It was also the first time we have taken a site specific approach to these campaigns and the results have been really encouraging,” says Mr Adkins.

For information on the dangers of speed and how to minimise your chances of being involved in a speed related crash, visit: www.northshorecity.govt.nz, key word search ‘speed’.

ENDS

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