The Nelson and Tasman councils last year sought public feedback on different options to cut speed limits across the region. We received 2247 submissions and I spent two days last week hearing the different views.
This speed limit reduction plan was a requirement of the previous Government as part of “Road to Zero” and had to be done by June. Its guidance was that all urban streets, other than arterials, be reduced to 30km/hr. The new Government has softened this policy and Councils now have more flexibility and more time.
I thank all those who made submissions. Most were opposed to blanket speed limit cuts. The 30km/hr option for urban streets was opposed by 66% to 27% and the 40km/hr option by 59% to 30%. There was strong support for speed reductions around schools at times they open and close.
It is easy to dismiss the extra time of travel from cutting speed limits as adding only a few more minutes to a journey. This overlooks that Nelson and Tasman motorists travel 1.03 billion km per year. A 10km/hr reduction in speed equates to an extra 2.5 million hours of driving time or an average extra 24 hours per person per year.
Speed does have an impact on safety. Nelson has an average of 13 death or serious-injury accidents per year and three of these have speed as a contributing factor. However, for many of these crashes where speed is a contributor, the drivers were already way over the speed limit. The real issue is one of compliance.
A better safety measure than blanket speed reductions is improving road design at known accident black spots. Council is making these a priority. An example is the Victory roundabout where work starts next week on safety improvements.
Speed limit reductions do make sense in some places around schools and on some of our windy, narrow roads such as Cable Bay Road where the local community has made a good case.
Our two councils will need to take time to consider these thousands of community submissions. Zero risk is not practical. Setting speed limits requires a balanced and nuanced approach.
