However, Mr Swain said announcements on educating drivers would be made in November and the Government would consider new enforcement measures -- particularly focusing on speed and repeat drink drivers -- in December.
He would make announcements on Thursday about some engineering measures that would have a direct impact on road safety, he said.
His spokeswoman told NZPA significant new money would be made available this financial year.
The strategy suggests ways to improve safety on the state highway network with "low-cost engineering" such as trialing installation of median cable barriers to separate traffic flow and clearing roadside hazards.
The document said analysis showed a 50 per cent drop in fatal crashes and a 34 per cent drop in injury crashes at 2366 sites after low-cost engineering improvements were made.
Within the timeframe of the strategy, Transit New Zealand would deliver more than 130 safety-related projects.
"Transit is developing and trialing a roadside hazard management programme to decrease injury should a vehicle leave the highway and is also trialing the installation of median cable barriers on rural two-lane highways in passing lane sections, to decrease the incidence of head-on crashes.
"Minor works such as resurfacing roads, clearing vegetation, improving road markings, signage, and visibility at intersections can have a huge impact on safety," the document said.
In areas where an unsafe stretch of road was too costly to change, enforcement could be used to lower vehicle speeds and achieve similar results in improved safety.
Mr Swain said without measures such as compulsory breath testing, speed cameras, hard-hitting advertising campaigns, targeting black spots on roads, vehicle impoundment and the Highway Patrol, the death toll on New Zealand roads would be about 900 a year.
In 2002, the road toll was 404 -- the lowest in almost 40 years.
The social cost of those 404 deaths and 6670 hospitalisations in 2002 was estimated at about $3 billion.
Mr Swain said the road toll this year was tracking almost 50 deaths higher than it was at the same time last year.
"In the first nine months of this year alone nearly 350 people died on our roads, compared to just over 300 for the same period last year.
"This tells us that we need to do more if we are to meet the goals we have set for 2010."
A first stage of initiatives until June 2004 included:
* Low-cost engineering on state highways by trialling median cable barriers and clearing roadside hazards;
* Extra resources for targeting heavy vehicle safety, completing the implementation of rurual compulsory breath-testing programmes, and increasing policing of Auckland's motorway system;
* More police booze buses, marked and unmarked police cars, laser speed detectors and radar;
* Developing safe routes for pedestrians and cyclists;
* Road safety advertising to include a "failure to give way" programme -- so widening road safety advertising beyond speeding, drink-driving and safety belt wearing;
* Implementing a novice driver pilot programme to test changes to the graduated driver licensing system, and encouraging parents and caregivers to help novice drivers gain more experience;
Mr Swain said key features of the strategy to 2010 included engineering safer roads, education initiatives, dealing with serious offenders, combating drink driving, reducing speed, encouraging safety belt use, improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists, and improving the vehicle fleet.
"Work will also continue in other areas such as heavy vehicle safety, trauma management, safety for motorcyclists and investigating measures against driving under the influence of illegal drugs," he said.
- NZPA
Land Transport Safety Authority:
Road Safety to 2010
Herald Feature: Cutting the road toll
Related links
