Direction of new speed limits rule announced – Times

A brand new rule will reverse the earlier Authorities’s blanket pace reductions imposed on motorists throughout New Zealand, Transport Minister Simeon Brown has confirmed.

Cupboard has agreed on the coalition Authorities’s route of journey for a brand new Land Transport Rule to be signed by the top of 2024.

“The brand new rule will be certain that when pace limits are set, financial impacts – together with journey instances – and the views of street customers and native communities are taken under consideration, alongside security,” says Brown, who can be MP for Pakuranga.

“The earlier Authorities’s untargeted strategy resulted in blanket pace restrict reductions throughout the nation, quite than concentrating on excessive crash areas of the community. The brand new rule will result in blanket pace restrict reductions being reversed by the top of subsequent yr, besides the place it’s unsafe.

“It’s vital that now we have the proper settings in place to spice up financial development and enhance street security, enabling Kiwis to get to the place they need to go, shortly and safely.”

He’s working with the Minister for Regulation, David Seymour, to make sure that the rule removes “nanny state rules geared toward slowing Kiwis down and focuses on sensible, focused security measures”.

“Setting decrease pace limits with out bearing in mind how it could have an effect on journey instances and financial exercise was irrational. The Coalition Authorities is dedicated to creating principled and rational coverage selections, together with doing cost-benefit evaluation the place acceptable,” Seymour says.

As a part of the Nationwide-ACT coalition settlement, the brand new rule would require variable pace limits round colleges throughout pick-up and drop-off instances and allow 110km/h pace limits on new and current Roads of Nationwide Significance.

“Implementing variable pace limits on roads approaching colleges throughout pick-up and drop-off instances, quite than everlasting reductions, will preserve younger New Zealanders protected when they’re arriving at or leaving faculty. Related approaches are utilized in elements of the UK, Australia, the USA and different nations to prioritise security,” Brown says.

“In setting the route for the brand new rule, the Authorities has discovered a realistic solution to get Kiwis transferring sooner whereas guaranteeing that security interventions are focused and match for function. It is not sensible to have roads that may safely accommodate increased pace limits, solely to require motorists to drive extra slowly.

“The coalition Authorities recognises that Roads of Nationwide Significance enhance security. That’s the reason we’ll allow new expressways to have 110km/h pace limits from the day they open.

“Later this yr, we will even publish new targets for street security which concentrate on safer roads, safer drivers and safer autos. This can goal the best contributing elements in deadly street crashes, notably alcohol and medicines.”

The brand new Land Transport Rule is presently being developed and can exit for public session within the coming months. Following this, the rule will likely be signed by the Minister of Transport earlier than the top of this yr.

The brand new rule would require pace limits which have been decreased in city areas to be reversed, besides the place the decreased pace limits are:

Approaching faculty gates throughout choose up and drop off hours;
On major streets on the town centres;
On focused areas the place there may be sturdy proof to assist the decreased pace.

Timeframes for the brand new rule: