Setting of Speed Limits

The Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi received feedback from many stakeholders, including local and regional councils. The Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi are in the process of analysing submissions and will provide advice to the Minister of Transport on changes to the draft rule based on feedback received through consultation. It is expected that the final rule will come into effect in December 2021.

The draft rule and consultation overview can be found here: Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 consultation | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)(external link).

Implementing the Tackling Unsafe Speeds programme requires changes to the Land Transport Act 1998, the Land Transport Management Act 2003 and the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017. 

We are currently drafting a new Setting of Speed Limits Rule and expect to release this for public consultation in late 2020.

The Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Bill, which is currently going through the parliamentary process, includes aspects of speed management.

Land Transport (NZTA) Legislation Amendment Bill(external link)

Cabinet agreed to the proposed Tackling Unsafe Speeds programme, which will include a framework to improve how councils and Waka Kotahi plan for, consult on and implement speed management changes. It will also mean lowering speed limits around schools and a new approach to safety cameras.

This framework will introduce a more consistent and transparent process to how speed limits are planned, managed and put in place through State highway and regional speed management plans. It also formalises and streamlines the regional approach to speed management Waka Kotahi is taking with RCAs, and aligns decisions about speed limit changes with investment in road safety infrastructure.

Under the framework, RCAs will introduce safer speed limits around schools over the 10 years of the Road to Zero strategy, which will include reducing speed limits:

• around urban schools to 30 km/h, with the option of allowing 40 km/h speed limits if appropriate
• around rural schools to a maximum of 60 km/h.

In addition, ownership and operation of the camera network will transfer from the police to Waka Kotahi, and safety cameras will be located on the highest risk parts of the network and have clear signage.

The Government agreed to consult on the new Road to Zero road safety strategy and initial set of actions. One of the initial actions is to introduce a new approach to tackling unsafe speeds.

Feedback broadly supporting speed management outweighed feedback opposing it, although there were a number of strong views on both sides.

Comments from those in support focused on lower speed limits, particularly in urban areas and around schools. Many also thought that safety infrastructure should support speed limit reductions. Very few submitters commented on safety cameras but those that did tended to support having more cameras.

Those opposed tended to think speed or speed limits should not be considered a priority and other issues such as driver behaviour and training, or investment in infrastructure were more important. Some submitters expressed concerns that journeys would take longer if speed limits were reduced.

A large number of submitters had mixed views on speed. These included, for example, support in principle for reducing the speed limit in some areas, alongside concern that other safety interventions were just as or more important.

We undertook targeted consultation on the Tackling Unsafe Speeds proposals with key transport stakeholders including local government.

The main feedback we received included:

• broad support for the proposed new regulatory framework, although there were mixed views about the distinction between State highway and regional speed management plans and decision-making powers
• strong support for lower speed limits around schools and giving RCAs the flexibility to determine how lower speed limits around schools are put in place
• comprehensive support for the new approach to safety cameras, including transferring ownership and operation of the camera network to Waka Kotahi.

We held workshops with the Speed Reference Group to develop the Tackling Unsafe Speeds proposals. This group was one of the 5 reference groups we worked with as part of developing the Road to Zero road safety strategy.

The groups were made up of over 100 representatives from across the transport sector and provided a range of knowledge, experiences and perspectives that contributed to the development of the Tacking Unsafe Speeds proposals.

The Speed Reference Group workshops provided valuable insight into the issues RCAs face and the ways speed management could be improved in New Zealand. This included hearing about and testing potential options for improving how we manage speed on our roads.

The Associate Minister of Transport held a 1-day Local Government Road Safety Summit in Wellington for more than 100 senior local government representatives from across New Zealand.  

The Minister received feedback about the challenges local government faced regarding speed management and potential interventions that would effectively address these challenges.