The Government says it plans to make changes to transport laws to tackle unsafe speeds on New Zealand roads.

It says Councils and the New Zealand Transport Agency are already working towards reviewing the highest risk roads to reduce the risk of crashes and improve safety outcomes. It says speed management initiatives can involve reducing speed limits or engineering upgrades to the road.

What’s being proposed

The key initiatives of the 'Tackling Unsafe Speeds' programme include:

• Improving how councils and the NZTA plan for, consult on and implement speed management changes.
• Transitioning to lower speed limits around schools to improve safety and encourage more children to walk and cycle to school.
• Adopting a new approach to safety cameras to reduce excessive speeds on our highest risk roads.

The 'Tackling Unsafe Speeds' programme was developed with close engagement with a broad range of stakeholders, including extensive discussions at the Speed Reference Group. The programme is a key action under the initial Road to Zero action plan.

What are the next steps?

Implementing the Tackling Unsafe Speeds proposals will require changes to the Land Transport Act 1998 and the Land Transport Management Act 2003. These changes will be supported by substantial changes to the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speeds Limits.

Here's a Q&A on unsafe speeds for more information.