The Government is investing $22.5 million to install electronic speed signs at 10 more high-risk intersections around the country.
The NZ Transport Agency will be installing the "active variable speed limit signs " at intersections on state highways in Northland, Waikato, Canterbury and Otago this June and July.
The electronic signs detect when a driver is turning into or out of a side road, and can temporarily reduce the legal speed limit on the state highway from, for example: 100 km/h to 60km/h.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said the signs were proven to cut serious crash rates by nearly 80 per cent.
"Too often a simple mistake at a rural intersection has a devastating consequence. These simple safety improvements will help save lives on rural roads," Ms Genter said.
"By temporarily slowing vehicles around busy rural intersections, these signs significantly reduce the risk of serious crashes occurring. This is because the risk of serious injury or death in side-impact crashes significantly increases at speeds above 50km/h.
"All of the 10 intersections in this package are at locations that have a high risk of serious crashes occurring."
Intersection Speed Zones are already being used in 13 other locations on state highways around New Zealand to slow traffic in high-risk locations.
A study of the first 10 "Intersection Speed Zones trialled" found the fatal and serious crash rate reduced by 79 per cent, and the overall crash rate reduced by 51 per cent after the signs were installed.
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