In 2017, 330 people lost their lives on New Zealand roads – a significant increase compared to 2016 figures. This news is tragic news, Associate Minister for Transport Julie Anne Genter says.
“Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and the high number this year is quite simply unacceptable,” Genter said. “The road toll has been going up over the last four years and is now the highest it’s been since 2010.”
In recent years, the minister said, expensive road projects have been the priority and road safety has taken a back seat.
“This government will be exploring all options to improve road safety, including reallocating funding to target high-risk roads," Genter said. “In addition, all of us have a responsibility to make our roads safer.”
In a separate report, Motor Trade Association has urged the government to look at vehicle safety as it tries to combat the growing road toll.
“A safe, well-maintained car will react better to a dangerous situation regardless of who is at fault,” MTA chief executive Craig Pomare said.
According to Pomare, vehicle-related factors contributed to around 9% of deaths in 2016. He also said that New Zealand has a lot of older cars on the road, and unless they are well maintained, they pose more safety risks than newer cars, he said.
“All owners should do a safety check of their cars in between warrants. For owners of new cars, this is also vitally important as a warrant is not needed within the first three years.”
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