Safety advocates appalled by harmful speed advice from NZTA
Road safety advocates are shocked at new advice from NZTA for people to drive at unsafe speeds.
NZTA's social media post reads “In good conditions you should be travelling at or close to the speed limit. Slow down when conditions such as bad weather or traffic make it unsafe to travel close to the speed limit.”
Patrick Morgan from Cycling Action Network said that for years we've been told by Police and ACC that the speed limit is not a target.
“Why has NZTA changed that advice? What evidence do they base this dangerous message on?” he said.
“As Labour Weekend approaches, I dread the damage from NZTA's harmful advice.”
“Excess speed contributes to almost every traffic crash. It makes crashes more likely, and more severe.”
“Travelling at 50 kmh isn't possible or safe in most parts of our cities.”
“Everyone in our community deserves to be safe. That means everyone must drive to the conditions, not the speed limit.”
Mr Morgan said NZTA's risk assessment tool Mega Maps showed that the posted speed limits are often too high. Mega Maps suggests only five percent of the open road should have the current 100 kmh speed limit, and in most cases a speed of 60-80 kmh should apply.
Caroline Perry, Brake NZ Director said: "It isn't just bad weather and traffic that can make it unsafe to travel at the speed limit. It's particularly important to look out for people on foot and bike, and that means slowing down around our towns and cities, outside schools and community facilities, many of which still don't have safe speed limits.
In an editorial in the NZ Medical Journal, headlined “Speeding towards danger”, Christopher Wakeman, a leading trauma surgeon at the Department of Surgery at the University of Otago, along with four other health experts, surveyed the available research from around the world. They concluded: “There is little doubt that increasing maximum speeds will lead to more lives being lost on our roads.”
“Instead of asking people to drive faster, NZTA should lower and enforce safe speeds, to keep everyone safe, said Mr Morgan.”
References
https://x.com/nztamain/status/1848841024203804864
Mega Maps: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/391246/speed-limits-too-high-on-most-roads-nzta-estimates
Patrick Morgan, tel 027 563 4733
Caroline Perry, Brake NZ Director, tel 021 407 953