More red light cameras and speed limit reductions on 10 per cent of Auckland roads are among the measures officials are considering after an "unacceptable and tragic" rise in deaths and serious injuries on the region's roads.
"We've seen over the last three years that the number of deaths and serious injuries on the region's roads have increased by over 70 per cent," Auckland Transport Chief Executive Shane Ellison told TVNZ1's Breakfast today.
Last year, 64 people died and 749 were seriously injured.
"It's a broad range of people who are being affected by this crisis," Mr Ellison said, explaining that those killed and injured include "vulnerable road users" such as cyclists, pedestrians and motorcyclists but also those in cars.
In addition to the speed limit reduction proposal, Auckland Transport is targeting high-risk intersections to make it less likely that people get t-boned, the agency wants to see an increased police presence on the roads and it also has plans for an education programme for the public.
Speed limit reductions would target both areas where pedestrians and cyclists are more present, like Newmarket, and in rural areas that have been effected by Auckland's population boom, Mr Ellison explained.
"Auckland's grown enormously in recent time, so the speeds that might have been right five or 10 years ago are not necessarily the right speeds for today," he said.
He pointed to studies based out of Auckland that showed that reducing the maximum speed from 50 to 40km/h on a 12-kilometre drive during peak times adds three minutes to commutes.
"It's not much to give up for saving a lot of people's lives," he said.
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