Submissions

To: Ministry of Transport
Date: July 2024

Purpose

This submission showed that increasing speeds on certain roads would severely compromise the safety and accessibility of disabled people, children, and older individuals, who are already at a higher risk of death or injury on New Zealand roads.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA aims to ensure road safety remains paramount and to advocate for policies that protect vulnerable road users.

DPA does not support the plan, arguing that increasing speeds on certain roads and sections of the roading network will compromise the safety and accessibility of disabled people, children, and older individuals.

DPA does not support the proposal to conduct cost-benefit analyses for speed limit changes, stating that artificially high implementation costs or travel time considerations could be used to justify not reducing speed limits in critical areas.

DPA also opposes the proposal to re-introduce variable speed limits outside school gates, warning that dividing schools into categories for different speed limits and applying them only during specific times will create confusion and increased risks for children, both disabled and non-disabled.

Key Recommendation:

DPA does not support the plan as increasing speeds on certain roads and sections of the roading network will impact on the safety and accessibility of disabled people, especially disabled tamariki children throughout Aotearoa.

Supporting Statement 1:

Disabled people are one of the groups at higher risk of death or injury on New Zealand roads.