Wednesday, 17 February 2021, 10:14 am
Following public and stakeholder consultation, Waka
Kotahi NZ Transport Agency has set a new permanent speed
limit for the short section of State Highway 1 (SH1) from
Templeton to Dawsons Road just south of
Christchurch.
From Wednesday 3 March, the new
permanent speed limit will reduce from 100km/h to 80km/h on
both the northbound and southbound lanes of SH1 near Trents
Road to the Christchurch Southern Motorway on and off
ramps .
With construction of the Christchurch Southern
Motorway stage 2 project nearly complete and the new Dawsons
Road roundabout fully functioning, the safer speed limit of
80km/h is a logical fit for the new road layout, says Waka
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is advising that work to improve safety on State Highway 3 between Waitara and Bell Block will get underway next Tuesday (9 February).
The section of highway between Bayley Street and Raleigh Street at Waitara will be resealed, and a new wide centreline will be marked to help keep traffic apart, reducing the risk of head-on crashes.
The southbound passing lane at Brixton Hill will also be removed, and new line markings and rumble strips installed.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Director of Regional Relationships Emma Speight says the safety improvements are part of the wider SH3 Waitara to Bell Block safety improvement project that aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries on the busy section of highway.
Ofentse Mokwena (Supplied)
Could greater road safety be within our reach? Ofentse Mokwena looks at how it might be possible to reduce annual road traffic deaths by 20%.
Road safety can be an objective or subjective offering, but people make choices around their appetite for risk. Police visibility, popular slogans, and other efforts create a temporary state of awareness when, “. traffic volumes are expected to peak”.
Reaching a 20% reduction requires interventions that protect the most vulnerable users and reaches the highest impact modes. But first, we need to communicate the risks and performance measures related to road safety with a focus on lasting improvements, not fleeting billboards.
The Leader Newspaper
870 people have lost their lives on Spain s roads
Despite a reduction in traffic, there were still 797 fatal incidents on interurban roads during 2020, in which 870 people have died and another 3,463 required hospital admission, which represents a 21% decrease in the number of accidents and deaths (-213 accidents and – 231 deaths) and a decrease of -22% in seriously injured (-970).
It is the lowest death toll in history and the first time that the number of deaths on interurban roads is less than 1,000, a fact that must be framed in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic that has reduced mobility by 25% and consequently the road accident rate.
VIC Premier
Victoria recorded its equal lowest road toll since records began in 2020 – but that is of no solace to more than 200 Victorian families who will start the New Year without a loved one.
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Ben Carroll today joined representatives from Victoria Police, Road Safety Victoria and the Transport Accident Commission to reflect on the past year on our roads and reiterate the Andrews Labor Government’s commitment to tackling road trauma.
Despite reduced traffic throughout the year due to coronavirus restrictions 213 people still died on Victorian roads – and the statistics show poor, high-risk driver behaviour is continuing to have fatal consequences.