Last year was one of the deadliest for motorists in nearly a decade, according to figures from the Transport Ministry. Road accidents in 2017 claimed 380 lives – the highest since 2009.
According to Transport Minister Julie Genter, the number of deaths on New Zealand roads has continued to increase over the past four years. She said road safety will be one of the Government’s major priorities for 2018.
“It will be obvious to many people driving this summer that the level of safety on many rural roads and even urban streets simply isn’t good enough,” she said. “People make mistakes, but on too many of our roads a momentary distraction or taking a corner too fast can be fatal.”
Authorities have set aside $22.5 million to fix high-risk stretches of rural road around the country. Genter also stated the Government will look at how it can increase and prioritise funding for road safety improvements across the country.
“I also intend to hold a road safety summit early this year so I can hear directly from councils about opportunities for improving road safety,” said Genter.
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