New Zealand’s favourite motorcycle routes discovered

Close to 2000 Kiwi motorcyclists have responded to a survey seeking to discover New Zealand’s most popular motorcycle rides.

The Auckland to Drury section of State Highway 1 is New Zealand’s most popular motorcycle route, followed closely by the Johnsonville, Paekakariki Hill & Haywards Loop in Wellington.

The survey, a joint initiative by the Motorcycle Safety Advisory Council (MSAC), ACC and the NZ Transport Agency, supports work to improve motorcycle routes across the country.

“Now that we know where people go to ride we can combine this information with previous work which identified the riskiest sections of road for motorcyclists. This will ensure efforts to improve safety have the highest benefit,” says MSAC chair Mark Gilbert.

“As part of this work ACC and the Transport Agency will be looking at how and where to effectively use things like safety barrier under-runs, post protectors, and better signage for motorcyclists,” he says.

“The response rate to the survey shows the strength of the motorcycling community. The Transport Agency and ACC now have a wealth information to inform future road safety interventions. Thank you to all those who took part.

“New Zealand roads can be dangerous for motorcyclists – already 47 motorcyclists and their passengers have been killed on the roads this year. With the 2016/2017 summer riding season just beginning, we’re very close to last year’s total of 54 deaths. We need to do better.”

The work is part of the Government’s 2016-2020 Safer Journeys Action Plan which has a specific focus on making motorcycling safer, as well as ensuring roads and roadsides support safer travel.

Visit www.roadsafetyrisk.co.nz if you would like to see the national survey results and which sections of New Zealand roads are the highest risk to motorcyclists.

The survey found that motorcyclists’ favourite routes are as follows:

1. Auckland to Drury

2. Johnsonville, Paekakariki Hill & Haywards Loop

3. Upper Hutt to Martinborough Via SH2 and SH53

4. Tai Tapu to Akaroa

5. Pukekohe to Auckland via SH22

6. Sign of Kiwi to Gebbies Pass (Summit Road)

7. Christchurch to Motukarara via Gebbies Pass

8. Wellington to Pahiatua via SH2 and back via SH1 (loop)

9. Hilltop to Akaroa (Summit Road)

10. Wellington to Port Ferry

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