New Zealand is on track to achieve a 40% reduction in deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 2030 but there is still plenty of work to do, according to a Road To Zero monitoring report.
Despite an increase in deaths and serious injuries on our roads last year, the report says this could be explained by the higher level of nationwide COVID-19 restrictions in 2020.
In 2021 there were 320 deaths and 2295 serious injuries on our roads which was up from 318 deaths and 2176 serious injuries in 2020.
While the report points out this is still “unacceptably high”, it represents an 11% reduction from a total 2,979 deaths and serious injuries in 2018.
“Regular monitoring and reporting are critical to keep us on track towards our 2030 target and provide a transparent way to assess and review progress on actions,” Ministry of Transport Road to Zero director Bryan Sherritt says.
“An 11% reduction in deaths and serious injuries since 2018 shows improvements are being made and are a result of progress across a range of Road to Zero actions. Continuing to focus on a safe system approach will further improve these results.
“We know that in some areas there are improvements that we can make to deliver on this important mahi. Road safety partners are committed to working together to make even greater progress to reduce the harm road trauma causes,” Sherritt says.
The safe system approach acknowledges that responsibility for safety is shared amongst those who design, build, manage and use the roads and vehicles. It also acknowledges that none of us are perfect all of the time and people inevitably make mistakes that can lead to road crashes. All parts of the system must be strengthened so that, if one part fails, road users are still protected.
Across the country, nine regions have seen reductions in deaths and serious injuries of 20% or more since 2018, with the Nelson region seeing the largest reduction of 62%.
In the Tasman district changes made to a roundabout by councils, Waka Kotahi and even a local supermarket all contributed to a reduction in deaths and serious injuries (47%).
“The positive results that we’ve seen in Tasman are a great example of how lives can be saved and serious injuries prevented by embracing the Safe System approach and putting it into action,” Waka Kotahi land transport director Kane Patena says.
“Waka Kotahi has been working with councils and communities across Aotearoa to save lives and prevent serious injuries on our roads. We know people make mistakes, so we need to create forgiving roads and roadsides, make our speed limits safe and get more people into safer vehicles, so that those simple mistakes don’t cost people their lives.
“Road to Zero is a long-term strategy and the monitoring report shows us which areas we need to continue to ramp up our focus on to meet the target for 2030. Waka Kotahi will be prioritising infrastructure investment in safety improvements such as median and side barriers and safety cameras,” Patena says.
Police assistant commissioner Bruce O’Brien says while progress on the delivery of the road safety partnership is positive, there is more work to do.
“Our safe roads control strategy resets police’s focus to ensure that our prevention and enforcement activity is based on what will have the most impact in reducing harm on the road.
“Reducing the harm caused on our roads is all of our responsibility, including road users.”
O’Brien says it’s concerning that crashes resulting in harm where restraints are not being worn and excess or unsafe speed are a factor have increased since 2018/19.
“The human body has a limited physical ability to tolerate crash forces before harm occurs. It’s a simple and easy action to put on your seatbelt and it could save your life. Please drive to the speed limit, stay focused, driver sober, and arrive safely. It takes everyone to get to no one,” he says.
‘Failed to deliver’
National’s transport spokesperson Simeon Brown says the Road to Zero Monitoring Report shows the Government is “failing to deliver against its own road safety measures”.
He points out areas of the report which highlighted where work was still not at a necessary level.
“Instead of building high quality safe roads, Labour said it would invest in new median barriers, side barriers and intersection improvements on existing roads to increase road safety.
“But its own monitoring report shows that the Government has failed to deliver meaningfully against these measures, with only 50km of median barriers and 300km of side barriers installed across New Zealand’s almost 11,000km state highway network.
“The report also highlights that police are only delivering half of the required three million breath tests, despite alcohol and drugs contributing to 47% of all deaths on our roads.
“But the report fails to look at the quality of New Zealand’s roads, despite mounting concern about the quality of maintenance taking place on our roads and the increase in reporting of potholes peppering the state highway network.
“About the only thing the report says Labour has delivered is an advertising campaign for the Road to Zero strategy, which is costing road users $14.7m over three years – a campaign which includes five large red ‘zeros’ a cost of over $5000 each.
“The Government has stopped investing in major state highway improvements, failed to deliver increased safety infrastructure and has only achieved a marketing campaign despite millions being spent,” Brown says.
*Click here to read the full report.
