A blanket proposal to increase speed limits across New Zealand is being challenged by the nation’s Green Party, which has launched a petition against the impending changes.
The current coalition government has promised to overturn the former Labour government’s blanket speed limit reductions by July 1 next year, with Transport Minister Simeon Brown stating the reduction had “slowed Kiwis and the economy down”.
Green Party Transport Spokesperson Julie Anne Genter believes a speed limit increase would be damaging to local communities.
“The government is ignoring the emphatic evidence that safe speed saves lives,” Genter says.
“The Minister for Transport is raising speed limits and jeopardising community safety without any credible justification. Applying blanket speed limit increases will result in more deaths and serious injuries, which come at enormous cost to our communities.
“For example, we see from the safer speed limit on Nelson to Blenheim Road there has been an 80 per cent reduction in deaths and serious injuries, and it’s only been going for two years.
“The safer speed limits instigated by the previous government added an increase of around two seconds per kilometre to the average journey time.
“That’s not something most people will notice at all. What they will notice is if a loved one doesn’t make it home because of a car crash.
“We are calling on people to make their opposition to this reckless policy heard by signing our petition and sending a clear signal to the government.”
Upon the news of the initial intention to overturn the speed limit reductions, Transport Minister Brown said variable speed limits outside schools would be required to keep young New Zealanders safe.
Regulation Minister David Seymour said the considerable Roads of National Significance project has ensured the nation’s roads are safer than ever and justify the limit increase.
“With the delivery of Roads of National Significance, New Zealand roads are safer than they ever have been before,” Seymour said.
“As part of consultation on the draft rule, the government is seeking feedback from New Zealanders don enabling speed limits of up to 120 km/h on Roads of National Significance that are built and maintained to safely accommodate that speed.”
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