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Can the goal of reducing auto accident claims in Auckland be achieved by lowering the speed limit?
According to the New Zealand Automobile Association (AA), a proposed blanket speed limit by Auckland Transport (AT) might be going a step too far. In a statement, the AA said that while it supports efforts to bring down speeds on high-risk Auckland roads, officials should dial back their proposal for lower speed limits across the city in order to both improve road safety and get a lasting buy-in from the public.
AT’s proposal includes a 30km/h speed limit for Auckland’s central business district (CBD), 30km/h speed limits in several town centres, and widespread speed limit reductions on roads in the Rodney and Franklin districts.
Barney Irvine, a spokesperson for AA, said that it’s simply hard to believe that the proposed speed limit will reduce accidents.
“People are pretty open to the idea of safer speeds in the central city, but a blanket 30km/h limit just doesn’t pass the credibility test,” said Irvine. “On top of that, the Transport Agency and its speed management guide recommend 40km/h for most roads in the CBD, and AT has shown no evidence to say we need to go below that.”
The AA therefore called on AT to instead opt for a 40km/h CBD limit – but on busy arterials, like Hobson, Fanshawe and Nelson Streets, the AA still questions whether speed limit reductions are workable.
“These are extremely wide, multi-lane roads, and everything about the road environment points to a 50km/h speed limit,” said Irvine. “When the traffic is flowing, trying to get people to drive at slower speeds is likely to be an exercise in futility – particularly if the new limit is 30km/h. The only likely way to get compliance would be relentless enforcement, and that’s not the outcome anyone wants to see.”
AT’s proposal is deeply unpopular with Auckland AA members, with 62% opposed or strongly opposed to a blanket 30km/h CBD speed limit.
“For this to succeed, AT needs public buy-in,” said Irvine. “Without it, AT risks ending up with low compliance, high public frustration, and a future situation where speed limit changes become a no-go zone politically. That’d be a poor outcome for road safety.”
