Cycling deaths Inquest announced
Waikato Coroner Gordon Matenga will travel to four separate regions throughout the country to hear evidence relating to nine cycling deaths to try and identify any common trends or information that could prevent a re-occurrence of such tragedies.
WCC is calling for submissions on lowering the speed limits in Oriental Bay, Northern Miramar Peninsula, and Miramar, Seatoun and Strathmore Park Parking Areas - due 1 April. CAW should make a submission: volunteers?
We have previous submissions that can be reworked.
The single biggest road safety issue in New Zealand today is speed - drivers travelling too fast for the conditions.
In 2008, excess or inappropriate speed was a factor in:
* 34 percent of all road deaths (127 deaths)
* 17 percent of all reported injuries from road crashes (2629 injuries).
As well as road safety, reducing speeds has many benefits for our communities, including encouraging more walking and cycling. It is a cost-effective and popular option that many NZ towns and cities are adopting.
by Bevan Woodward
Even a small reduction in speed has huge safety benefits, a recent workshop on speed limit management showed.
Speeding motorists used to driving 10kmh over the maximum speed limit will not get away with it this weekend, as police trial a zero tolerance policy to cut road deaths.
Police say New Zealand's 10 per cent tolerance zone is higher than other countries, and cutting it could help change the attitudes of motorists who claim lives.
From tomorrow, extra police will be out in force for Queen's Birthday Weekend and, for the first time, motorists found to be more than 4kmh over the open road speed limit will be ticketed.