Te Pōhue residents say blanket lower speed limit on Napier-Taupō Road not the answer

Tuesday, 27 April 2021

The Napier-Taupō roadwill continue to be dangerous unless it gets the investment it needs, a deputy mayor says.

While agreeing to slower speed limits on some parts of State Highway 5, about 50 Te Pōhue residents unanimously voted against Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s proposal to lower the speed limit to 80kmh across two-thirds of the road, at a community meeting last week.

Between 2010-2019, there were 250 injury crashes on the Napier to Taupō part of SH5 leaving 16 people dead and 75 seriously injured, NZTA figures show.

Hastings deputy mayor and Mohaka ward councillor Tania Kerr​ said there was “real concern among the community” that the reduced limit would “increase frustration and create more dangerous driving”.

**READ MORE:

* Proposed speed limit for notorious Napier-Taupō highway 'naive' - racing driver Greg Murphy

* New 80kmh speed limits for Napier-Taupō Road proposed after safety concerns raised

* Crash-prone central Taranaki road to drop to 80kmh, should the community agree

* Meet one of the guardians of Hawke's Bay's notorious Napier-Taupō road

**

During the meeting, it was agreed that speed limits should be lowered around the villages of Te Pōhue and Te Hāroto, with a pull-off area introduced at Tarawera for north-bound traffic.

“Without a clear plan to invest in SH5, that road will continue to be dangerous, no matter what speed drivers use. The community will suffer significantly if the speed limit is introduced,” Kerr said.

Te Haroto resident Kiri Goodspeed​ said the proposed speed restrictions would have a “significant impact on locals’ lifestyle”.

“I would have to consider going to town only once a fortnight instead of every week, reconsider whether as a business it was economical to have clients in town, and consider withdrawing my children from the only early childcare education available,” she said.

“These are the human considerations that Waka Kotahi needs to take into account,” she said.

Kerr said the community told the council “loud and clear” that the issue was not speed but poor driver behaviour.

“They want Waka Kotahi to demonstrate that they are investing in the road, instead of issuing a blanket lower speed limit.”

Calls for more slow-vehicle bays and passing lanes were also voiced with one attendee saying there were safety issues with drivers who weren’t familiar with the road, “trying to pass truck drivers around blind corners”.

Community members also disagreed with Waka Kotahi’s assertion that a lower speed limit would only put 41 seconds more on the journey.

“One truck driver who addressed the meeting said that the lower speed limit will mean he has to make one less trip a day, potentially losing a quarter of his income,” Kerr said.

“Members of the community estimate that the reduced speed will add 15 minutes to each journey.”

Waka Kotahi director regional relationships Emma Speight​ said in order to reduce deaths and serious injuries on roads a major shift was needed, from speed to driver education, to improving the safety of roads and vehicles.

“It’s not a matter of choosing one solution over another. We need to take action in all of these areas,” she said.

Safety improvements costing $2.5 million would be implemented during the next four months, including side barriers, road markings and rumble lines.

“Lowering speeds doesn’t mean we can’t make other changes, but it is one of the most effective things we can do now to keep people alive and safe on this road,” Speight said.