Speed limits around the CBD changed from 50km/h to 30km/h last year, now Auckland Transport has proposed speed limit changes to other 800 Auckland roads. Video / NZ Herald
Auckland Transport has proposed speed limit changes to 800 Auckland roads, nearly half of which are around schools.
Of these 800 roads, 462 are near 57 schools, 208 are rural roads in Franklin including 33 roads with a high risk of deaths or serious injuries occurring.
AT's Road Safety Engineering Manager Michael Brown said safety around Auckland schools is an area of focus.
"Improving safety around schools is an area of focus for AT, as well as central Government. These proposed changes will help to make it safer for children walking or cycling to school.
Serious injuries on Auckland roads have risen from 513 to 556 in the 12 months to the end of July this year. Photo / NZME
"Research shows there is strong community support for speed limit changes, with 78 per cent of people supporting speed reductions around schools," he said.
Brown said 90 per cent of the roads are already travelled on at lower speeds due to conditions, whether it be windy roads or congested urban roads.
"While most of the changes we propose will simply bring the posted speed limit into line with the speeds people are already travelling, it is important that these changes are made. Speed limits that are set too high can become a target for drivers to aim for, plus they can prevent the police from addressing those travelling at unsafe speeds."
However, AA senior adviser infrastructure Sarah Geard believes the speed changes must suit the type of road in order for it to be successful.
"The best road safety result will be where speed limit reductions are common sense to motorists because they'll naturally comply. If the limits don't make sense, the risk is you end up with people driving above the limit most of the time unless you have constant enforcement. That's not a good outcome for road safety," she said.
Some of the proposed speed changes are on high-risk roads which have a higher chance of death or serious injury.
The number of deaths on Auckland roads almost doubled from 29 to 56 in the 12 months to the end of July this year. Serious injuries rose from 513 to 556 over the same period.
"In these instances, the proposed changes would create a very slight increase in journey times. For example, on Linwood Rd near Karaka where speeds were changed last year, we know that a typical nine-minute journey is around 30 to 50 seconds longer. But the changes will help to reduce the chance of someone getting seriously hurt or killed," Brown said.
Over 800 of the proposed speed limit changes are on roads near schools. Photo / Alex Burton
In June, over 600 roads across Auckland were issued lower speed limits.
Most speed limits went down from 50km/h to 30km/h. However, Nelson, Hobson and Fanshawe Sts will each have a new speed limit of 40km/h, down from 50km/h. Some shared streets like Federal St will continue to have a 10km/h speed limit.
Freemans Bay on the outskirts of the central city and Te Atatu South are other urban areas where the speed limit is being reduced from 50km/h to 30km/h.
Speed limits are also being reduced on many rural roads in Rodney and Franklin, where the 100km/h speed is typically being reduced to 80km/h.
A recent Auckland AA Member surveys showed 70 per cent of members in Auckland support or potentially support lower speed limits around Auckland.
