Kiwis quizzed on road safety
Kiwis have shared their views on speeding, car safety, driver fatigue and enforcement in a new survey from Waka Kotahi.
The NZTA quizzed more than 3,300 New Zealanders for its “Public attitudes to road safety – 2020” report, as part of its drive to cut the number of deaths on our roads.
It plans to repeat the survey annually and produce similar reports to help the transport sector to understand public feedback and monitor trends.
A key finding from the report was that 41 per cent of drivers know the star rating of the car they drive, but these are mostly owners of four and five-star vehicles.
Other highlights include 81 per cent of respondents consider our roads generally safe to travel on, and 83 per cent think speed limits are safe and appropriate on the roads they normally use.
Of the people surveyed, 80 per cent support roadside drug testing and higher fines for mobile phone use, while 61 per cent voiced support for car safety features and 58 per cent for 30kph urban speed limits.
The NZTA says the survey is part of its work to deliver the government’s Road Safety Strategy, Road to Zero, which has a vision where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads.
The strategy has a target of reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40 per cent – when compared to 2018 levels – by 2030.
If successful, this would mean 227 deaths and 1,680 serious injuries by 2030. In 2020, 318 people were killed and almost 2,500 seriously injured on New Zealand roads.
Fabian Marsh, senior manager road safety, says: “The better we understand Kiwis’ attitudes and behaviour around important road safety issues, the more effectively we can build public understanding and support for the changes we all need to make to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
The survey found 15 per cent of respondents believe more than 200 deaths on our roads each year is acceptable.
Marsh, pictured, notes this demonstrates the opportunity to change any perceptions that the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads is an acceptable price to pay for our ability to get around.
“New Zealanders would be horrified if 318 people had died last year in a plane crash, or plane crashes,” he explains.
“There are things we can do to change this situation on our roads.
“Collectively, we have the power to create a safe system which allows for human error, so when mistakes happen, people aren’t killed or seriously injured.
“And, of course, each of us has the individual responsibility to make the right decisions like buckling up, driving sober and at a safe speed, and following the road rules.”
To read the Public attitudes to road safety – 2020 report, click here.
