AA calls for a decade of road safety action

Media Release:
Embargoed until 11.30am, 18 August 2009

AA calls for a decade of road safety action

The Automobile Association has called for a decade of road safety action and urged the Government to commit to investing the money it collects from traffic fines on improving road safety.

The AA made the call at today's launch of the Draft Road Safety 2020 Strategy by the Minister of Transport at Parliament.

Mike Noon, AA General Manager of Motoring Affairs, says “91 per cent of surveyed AA Members supported all of the money collected from traffic fines being spent on road safety. That’s about $100 million a year, or $1 billion over the life of the ten year strategy, which would make an enormous difference and would save hundreds of lives. Top of the list for the AA would be installing flashing lights and high visibility electronic speed zone signs around all our schools to keep kids safe.”

“Our road safety approach to date has been dominated by a blame, crime and punishment model, and as a result many people are mistrustful and convinced that the Police have revenue targets. Road safety really works when the public is onboard and decides for itself that safety is important - as has happened for seatbelt wearing. By removing the revenue gathering claims, we would change the focus of our road safety efforts from blame and punishment to injury prevention and education.”

Mike Noon urges motorists to contribute to the consultation process by making submissions on the road safety proposals contained in the strategy document. The AA will also be making a submission on behalf of its Members.

“This is an important strategy that will affect the lives of every New Zealander. At the current rate, 160,000 New Zealanders will be killed or injured on our roads over the next ten years. The chances are you will know some of them,” says Mr Noon.

"The AA wants the final version of Road Safety 2020 Strategy to have ambitious and visionary ten year targets. We should be aiming to halve our deaths and injuries, and to do that we need to be innovative, bold and not afraid to ask for help from overseas nations that are outperforming us in this area."

"We need safer roads - more divided roads; more wire rope and solid barriers; more passing lanes; less roadside hazards like trees, poles and ditches. We need to train our drivers better - when they are learning to drive and through workplace driver training for experienced drivers. We need to give drivers the information, understanding and knowledge they need to take full responsibility for their driving, so they can drive to the conditions and understand their risk levels."

"We need new solutions to tackle hardcore drunk drivers as 66 per cent of drunk drivers killed are over twice the legal BAC limit! We also need to tackle drugged driving - and if that means drug and alcohol testing every single driver involved in a serious injury or death crash to understand the extent of the problem, then let's do it."

"We need to increase the focus on the real causes of many crashes, namely driver distraction - or the loss of attention - and driver fatigue. We also need to review the adequacy of the current Crash Analysis System to accurately record the causes of crashes, and we need to track progress and improvements over the ten years."

"In other words New Zealanders deserve a road safety strategy that skips blame and warm fuzzy feel-good statements, and instead delivers action, measurement and outcomes."

"The Road Safety 2020 Strategy provides New Zealand with an enormous opportunity to get it right, to save lives and reduce injuries, more of the same will just not do," concludes Mr Noon.

ends

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