Mayor and his road safety adviser at odds over Selwyn’s speed limits

Wednesday, 14 August 2024

Selwyn’s mayor wants faster highways, but his road safety adviser says people aren’t safe at current speeds.

The coalition Government has received submissions from councils across the country on its new draft Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024.

It’s set to replace the previous Labour government’s rule from 2022, which will override the blanket speed limit reductions on state highways and could see the country get its first 120kph motorway.

Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton wrote a letter to the ministers in charge of the change on behalf of Selwyn District Council, pushing for the Christchurch Southern Highway’s speed to increase up to 120kph and a section of State Highway 75 to go back to 100kph.

Road safety adviser Mike Patterson sent a submission on behalf of the council on the same day - saying speed limits should not increase.

The mayor’s speed limit submission is almost the polar opposite to his road safety adviser’s submission to central government. (File photo)

It sparked debate in the council’s chambers on Wednesday as councillors grappled with how the mayor’s comments could be so different to the safety adviser’s.

Former cop turned councillor Phil Dean said he was “dumbfounded” by the inconsistency between Broughton’s letter and Patterson’s submission on behalf of the council.

“It flies in the face of safety, and this council has to remember that faster speeds on roads means greater harm.”

Selwyn councillor Phil Dean is a former road policing officer. (File photo)

Councillor Sophie McInnes said both submissions were written from different perspectives. They were inconsistent, she said.

“The first one is with our head and the other is with our heart, which wants to drive faster.”

Patterson’s submission said increasing the speed limit to 120kph would significantly increase risk to every road user.

“The centre median on our local state highways is constantly being damaged through drivers colliding with the centre median - this is on the current 100kph state highway.”

Selwyn councillor Sophie McInnes says the two submissions were written from different perspectives. (File photo)

Broughton’s letter said people were already driving faster than 100kph, and higher speeds would increase efficiency for freight and public transport.

Patterson’s submission said economic benefit shouldn’t be prioritised over safety.

“The majority of Selwyn fatalities occur on undivided rural roads with speed limits of 80 - 100kph, and primarily caused by driver error.”

Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton is on holiday and was not present at the meeting on Wednesday. (File photo)

Even by the numbers, Patterson said the social harm cost of crashes were high.

The social harm cost of a fatal crash was $4.4m, according to 2020 figures, Patterson said. Over the past five years on Springs Rd between Prebbleton and Lincoln, on an 80kph section where there were no fatal crashes, the social harm cost was $20m, he said.

“If the intention is not to provide survivable speed limits, the sufficient enforcement must be provided on rural high speed roads.”

Broughton’s letter said the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi didn’t provide “compelling evidence” for why the the speed limit on SH75 between Halswell and Littler River should be 80kph instead of 100kph.

Patterson said more police and higher penalties would help improve driving behaviour, but the district only had three dedicated road police.

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