Road safety has taken a “back seat” to major roading projects in recent years, associate transport minister Julie Ann Genter says.
Her comments come after she called a crisis meeting to see how deaths can be reduced before the summer holidays, Stuff reports.
This year’s road toll has already reached last year’s total of 330, with more than a month to go.
The police, NZTA and Ministry of Transport will meet with Genter on Tuesday to see what can be achieved to reduce the toll in a short period of time.
“In recent years expensive roading projects have been the priority and road safety has taken a back seat.
“My number one priority in the transport portfolio is to bring the road toll down,”
Long-term, the government plans include improving rail and public transport links to get people out of private cars and use more rail and coastal shipping to reduce the number of trucks on the roads.
