Media Release: 27 March 2013

AA gives new road safety action plan 8½ out of 10

The Automobile Association fully supports the government’s Safer Journey’s Action Plan 2013-15 launched today which provides clear direction on how to improve road safety and reduce the road toll.

AA Motoring Affairs General Manager Mike Noon says the plan deserves a score of 8½ out of 10.

“This Action Plan identifies the key safety issues that must be addressed to further improve road safety in our country. If we can deliver this plan, lives will be saved,” he says.

The AA supports continuing the focus on the “Safe System” approach for road safety (Safe Roads, Safe Drivers, Safe Speeds, Safe Vehicles and Safe Road Use).

The action plan importantly aims to:

• address New Zealand’s ageing vehicle fleet with a vehicle fleet programme looking at the exit of older, less safe vehicles from the fleet

• focus on appropriate travel speeds for different types of roads with the development of a national speed plan

• do more work on impaired driving (alcohol and drugs) and consider more use of alcohol interlocks

• identify 100 of the highest risk intersections and identify solutions to fix them

“The Global Decade of Action for Road Safety began in May 2011 and significantly, our road toll in 2011 and 2012 was lowest since the 1950s. More can be done by addressing the key issues around vehicle safety, speed, impaired drivers, and roads and roadsides, and there is no reason why we cannot further reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” says Mr Noon.

“The financial cost of our road toll and serious road injuries is around $3.5 billion a year, which is a huge drain on our economy. However, the pain experienced by people in our communities who have lost loved ones, or have seriously injured family members through road crashes, is a far greater hurt that affects us all. It is a hurt we need to stop.

“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and pleasingly this is reflected in the collaborative approach taken in the Government’s Action Plan. This Plan has the AA’s full support and we are looking forward to the role we can play to help deliver this action plan on behalf of AA Members and to make our roads safer,” he says.

Ends

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