A new government-backed campaign is aiming for zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050 with $2.9 billion earmarked in activities over the next three years to help achieve that.
The Road to Zero public awareness campaign was launched by transport minister Michael Wood and police minister Poto Williams on Wednesday.
It also sets a 40% reduction target of deaths and serious injuries by 2030.
Included in the spending is $1.2b for road policing which is an increase of $140 million compared with the previous three years.
An independent review has been commissioned to look into road policing activities and safety infrastructure investments to make sure they are prioritised towards the Road to Zero initiative.
“There should be zero tolerance for people being killed or seriously injured on our roads,” Wood says.
“The Road to Zero strategy is part of our plan to build the safest road system we can, and work towards zero road deaths and serious injuries.
“We’re aiming for significant reductions in a relatively short space of time, and we’re targeting all aspects of the transport system to get there.
“We’re investing in safer infrastructure, we’re working to get more people into safer vehicles, we’re rolling out safer speed limits, and we’re refocusing on targeted and effective Police enforcement.
“Road to Zero is not about any single initiative but about how we develop an overall safer system. It’s important for people to know that a large reduction in road deaths and serious injuries is achievable – the measures that are being introduced are internationally proven and have reduced deaths and serious injuries when systematically rolled out,” Wood says.
Meanwhile, Williams says police enforcement will be a major aspect of the campaign in its effort to deter impaired driving and other unsafe behaviour.
“Every death and every serious injury on our roads has a devastating impact on a large number of people …
“It’s time we stopped accepting that a certain amount of death and serious injury is just the price we all pay for moving around.
“We need to move past the whole idea of a ‘road toll’ paid in human lives. No one deserves to die or be seriously injured on our roads,” Williams says.
Safer roads and roadsides
Waka Kotahi chief executive Nicole Rosie says the organisation will be making roads and roadsides safer, “using evidence-based tools to identify the best solutions in high-risk areas”.
That will include new roundabouts, median barriers, side barriers, widened centrelines and rumble strips.
“We’re working hard to get more New Zealanders into vehicles with high safety ratings, because these vehicles can help drivers avoid crashes and protect people when crashes do happen,” Rosie says.
“Safer speeds also have a huge role to play. When speeds are safe for the road, simple mistakes are less likely to end in tragedy, which is why Waka Kotahi and local authorities are identifying roads across the country where safer speed limits can make a significant and immediate difference in saving lives.
“And as individuals we all have a responsibility to follow the road rules, wear our seatbelts and avoid driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol, or when distracted by our mobile phones,” she says.
Targeted enforcement
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says the police will be focused on “targeted and effective enforcement to play our part in delivering road safety targets for 2030 and beyond”.
“This means doing all we can to prevent the pain, suffering and grief our officers see every day caused by preventable road crashes.
“People should expect to see us anytime, anywhere working to keep people safe on our roads.
“Our road policing activities focus on the high-risk behaviours of ensuring drivers and their passengers are buckling up, not impaired by drugs and alcohol nor distracted, and enforcing speed limits.
“We are progressing a range of initiatives to improve our performance and find new ways to deliver better outcomes through technology, equipment and tactics.
“Together, we can save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries,” Coster says.
The Road to Zero programme of work planned for 2022 includes:
- the ongoing roll-out of a large programme of road maintenance and safety improvements to roads all over the country
- improved vehicle safety standards, a strengthened road safety partnership between Waka Kotahi and NZ Police
- reviews of speed limits and the confirmation of a new speed limit setting rule with a focus on safe speeds around schools
- developing and delivering a sustainable operating model for the rollout of new safety cameras, integrated with safer speed limits and targeting high risk areas of the system
- the commencement of a Ministerial Oversight Group to co-ordinate Government action in support of Road to Zero
- the final stage of the Accessible Streets regulatory package to improve pedestrian safety
- a review of fines and penalties
- the finalisation of drug-driving legislation
