The country’s most dangerous state highways have been singled out by the Automobile Association as needing a significant and urgent cash injection to keep Kiwi drivers safe.
Roughly 40 per cent of the country’s state highway network has a two-star safety rating, which means they feature hazards such as narrow shoulders, slanting surfaces, and ditches running alongside them.
Between 2011 and 2015 there was a combined 1652 serious injuries and deaths on these roads.
The two-star highways with the most fatalities between 2012 to 2016 were State Highway 2 from Katikati to Tauranga, which recorded 18 deaths, and SH1 North from Kawakawa to Springs Flat, which recorded 14.
But when taking into account all risk factors, the most dangerous road on the AA’s list was SH22 from Drury to Pukekohe, which had an estimated likelihood of 0.39 deaths or serious injuries (DSI) per kilometre each year.
A truck and a ute crashed in November on SH2 north of Tauranga – another of the high-risk highways the AA wants upgraded.
This was followed by SH58 from Pauatahanui to Upper Hutt, with a DSI of 0.27, and SH2 from Paeroa to Waihi, with a DSI of 0.24.
The association, which represents 1.6 million motorists, is calling on all political parties to commit to a massive investment in these substandard highways ahead of September’s general election.
It wants the new Government to upgrade 150 kilometres of two-star highway a year to a three-star level and inject a further $100 million into improving the state of some regional roads.
Research suggested that lifting all two-star highways to three-star quality would halve the number of serious injuries.
AA motoring affairs general manager Mike Noon said the “unforgiving” highways had risks most drivers did not see.
GEORGE HEARD/STUFF
Four people died and one was seriously injured in a car crash on SH3 south of Hamilton in June last year.
“If they make a mistake on these roads, the outcomes are extremely severe,” he said. “You make the same mistake on our better-engineered roads, and it’s a far lesser outcome.”
A lot of work had been done on main highways but not enough attention had been given to rural roads, may of which were tourist routes, Noon said.
The annual cost of the project would depend on what roads were upgraded.
STUFF
Brendan Morris lays flowers at the site of his brother Gordon Ngaia’s death on SH22 between Drury and Pukekohe (File photo).
New Zealand Transport Agency spokesman Andy Knackstedt said many of the roads identified were already undergoing safety improvements, or had plans in place for an upgrade.
They included the identified sections of SH58, SH22 and SH1, as well as SH2 from Katikati to Tauranga; SH2 from Featherston to Maoribank; and SH3 from Ohaupo to Te Awamutu.
The transport agency was currently spending about $100m a year over six years to improve 100km of the state highway network, Knackstedt said.
Metre-wide median centre lines are now marked along a stretch of SH22 in Karaka in a bid to reduce the high number of injury crashes.
That funding was targeted at high-risk, high-volume highways, but it was expected another $30m would eventually be spent on rural highways each year as well.
The country’s safest highways receive a five-star rating.
NEW ZEALAND’S WORST HIGHWAYS*
WARWICK SMITH/STUFF
Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the Government is already pouring money into regional road safety.
State Highway 22 from Drury to Pukekohe: three deaths, 19 serious injuries, 44 minor injuries
SH58 from Pauatahanui to Upper Hutt: 2 deaths, 13 serious, 47 minor
SH2 from Paeroa to Waihi: 1 death, 16 serious, 49 minor injuries
SH3 from Palmerston North to Ashurst: 2 deaths, 9 serious, 42 minor
SH3 from Ohaupo to Te Awamutu: 2 deaths, 4 serious, 25 minor
SH2 from Katikati to Tauranga: 18 deaths, 35 serious, 95 minor
SH3 from New Plymouth to Inglewood: 1 death, 11 serious, 40 minor
SH2 from Featherston to Maoribank: 3 deaths, 13 serious, 60 minor
SH6 from Frankton to Arrow Junction: 1 death, 10 serious, 37 minor
SH1N from Kawakawa to Springs Flat: 14 deaths, 41 serious, 133 minor
* Based on crash data from 2012-2016.
WHAT THE POLITICAL PARTIES SAY
Transport Minister Simon Bridges (National): The current Government has invested more than $9 billion in roading projects, including $4b on local roads as part of the 2015-18 national land transport programme, and another $212m to accelerate regional state highway projects. “We also have a number of initiatives like the $600m safer roads programme that is delivering a series of nationwide safety projects to approximately 90 high-risk sites on rural state highways in 14 regions across New Zealand.”
Labour transport spokesman Michael Wood: The party is “deeply concerned” about the country’s road toll during the past three years. “The government has been pouring billions of dollars into huge motorway projects while forgetting about the basics – safe local and regional roads.”
Green Party transport spokeswoman Julie-Anne Genter: The party supports greater focus on road safety investment “I am not sure if the star system is the best way to evaluate safety and effectiveness of improvements. It’s worth investigating.”
ACT Leader David Seymour: Agrees there has been a significant lack of investment in roading and says his party would return half of the GST from new building developments to local councils for infrastructure investment. “While ultimate decisions on how to spend these funds would lie with local councils, it would certainly speed progress towards sealing and otherwise improving safety of regional roads.”
* The Maori Party, NZ First, United Future and The Opportunities Party did not respond to requests for comment.
– Stuff