Northland leaders frustrated at plan to lower speed on state highways to cut crashes

Wednesday, 23 February 2022

Waka Kotahi is looking to slash the speed limit from 100kmh to 80kmh on highways across the Northland region.

Northland leaders are fuming all state highways across the region could have speed limits reduced from 100kmh to 80kmh in an effort to cut crashes.

The comments come as police and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency launched a new campaign to raise awareness of Road to Zero – a programme to cut fatalities and serious injuries on the road.

Police commissioner Andrew Coster said the force fully supported the programme to “prevent the pain, suffering and grief our officers see every day caused by preventable road crashes”.

Northland leaders worry a plan to make all Tai Tokerau state highways 80kmh could grind the region to a halt. (File photo)

This year, Road to Zero includes ongoing road maintenance, improved vehicle safety standards, speed limit reviews, new safety cameras, regulations to improve pedestrian safety, a review of fines and penalties, and finalising drug-driving legislation.

The Government is working on a road safety strategy to drive substantial improvements in road safety in New Zealand. (Video first published in December 2019)

* Maintenance and safety key in Northland's $751 million share of national transport plan

* Northland leader 'shocked' after Whangārei's SH1 four-lane project canned

Steve Smith, chief executive of Northland Chamber of Commerce, says the lower speeds will cause congestion and create more danger.

But it's the speed limit reviews that concern Northland leaders, after the area was singled out for a proposal of region-wide speed reductions.

The aim of the lower speeds is to reduce crashes and serious injuries on Northland highways. (File photo)

A timeline for consultation on the proposal has not been set out, but Waka Kotahi is already reviewing speeds on 11 state highway sections in Northland and north Auckland.

Steve Smith, chief executive of Northland Chamber of Commerce, said Northland’s state highways were in a terrible condition, but they needed maintenance, not slower speed limits.

“I think it’s a massive failing. They [Waka Kotahi] have completely failed to deliver an asset that is suitable for purpose,” he said.

Far North mayor John Carter says residents support lower speeds in certain areas, but not a blanket reduction. (File photo)

“Do they surely not expect some backlash from the community, not just the business community, but the community as a whole?”

The lower speeds will choke the roads, leading to queues of traffic which may make more drivers take dangerous risks to overtake, he said.

Smith was especially concerned about speeds being reduced on busy SH1 south of Whangārei – a section which was meant to be upgraded to a four-lane highway until funding was pulled in June.

“SH1 is the backbone of the country, and at the moment it’s got osteoporosis – it’s never even been resilient.”

Far North mayor John Carter agreed the lower speed limits were a way to pave over the lack of funding for highway maintenance.

Carter agreed Northland’s crash figures need to come down, with the region having the second-highest rate of fatalities and serious injuries in the country, at 14.4 fatalities per 100,000 people against a national average of 6.3.

But Carter said the speed reduction would not help, as there would still be drivers breaking the rules – and slower speeds could increase drive frustration and dangerous behaviour.

Feedback already provided to Waka Kotahi on the 11 highways slated for speed reductions showed residents were concerned about speeds past schools, marae, urupā and certain windy stretches of highway, but most supported 100kmh speed limits elsewhere, Carter said.

Discussions with Northlanders will continue, said Steve Mutton, Waka Kotahi’s director regional relationships.

He did not outline a timeline for the speed reviews, saying face-to-face engagement needed to be carefully considered against the Omicron outbreak.

Mutton also did not outline why the speed reviews were blanket for Northland, rather than focusing on specific areas of concern.

The agency said it will invest $750m in Northland over the next three years for maintenance of state highways.

Over the past three years, it has completed a number of major safety improvements, including new roundabouts at Kawakawa, Waipapa and Puketona Junction, new two-lane bridges at Matakohe and Taipā, and new passing lanes at Akerama.