23 June 2016

New rural highway safety programme will save lives - AA

The Government’s significant new investment in improving New Zealand’s highest risk rural highways is a great day for road safety, says the Automobile Association.

“This safety investment will save lives – it’s that simple. Our 1.5 million AA Members and all road users will be extremely happy to see these improvements,” says AA Motoring Affairs General Manager Mike Noon.

“We know that upgrading roads with things like barriers, wide centrelines, rumble strip and better road markings makes a huge difference in reducing crashes but this programme will see them used on a much greater scale.

“The AA is a leading advocate for balanced road safety and people commonly complain that New Zealand’s roads, particularly our rural highways, aren’t as safe as other countries. This investment by the Government is going to help improve that.”

The just announced programme has identified 90 high-risk sites on rural State Highways in 14 regions around the country where a range of safety improvements will be made.

It will see $600m invested into road safety over the next six years and is forecast to prevent 900 deaths and serious injuries over the next decade.

An example of the massive improvements that safety upgrades like those proposed can deliver has been on State Highway 1 north of Wellington between Pukerua Bay and Paekakariki.

There were 16 fatalities on that stretch of road in the 10 years prior to a media barrier being installed in 2004. In the 10 years since the barrier’s installation it has been hit more than one hundred times without a single death.

“The AA has been extremely concerned to see New Zealand’s road toll increase from its record low over the last two years and it is great to see the Government taking strong action that will greatly improve road safety on our highest risk rural State Highways.”

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