How can we make New Zealand's roads safer?

11:44 AM Wednesday Dec 28, 2011

Brooklyn Clark who was killed in a car crash in Welcome Bay on Christmas Day. Photo / Alan Gibson

It's been a horror start to the Christmas holidays on our roads, with eight deaths in the opening three days, in comparison to 12 fatalities for the entire Christmas period last year.

Speed limits on some highways have been reduced from 100km/h to 90 km/h while the police have again reduced their tolerance for speeding drivers.

What more can be done? Tell us your views on how we can make our roads safer.

Jolza37 (Tauranga) | 12:21PM Wednesday, 28 Dec 2011

This indeed is the million dollar question. Perhaps the reintroduction of the death penalty would help people take this a bit more seriously? -

A sense of balance (New Zealand) | 12:21PM Wednesday, 28 Dec 2011

For what it's worth, my most dangerous overtakes are of those drivers who slow right down for the twisty sections, taking horrible lines through the corners and then speed up for the straights, and who fail to realise that this is very frustrating and so consequently never pull over to let the queue of cars past. I applauded the announcement from the police that they are going to pull over such drivers but we'll see if it makes much of a difference.
The problem as I see it is that in NZ we have been repeatedly told that slow driving is good driving and that speed is the killer (plus booze of course for which there is no excuse). In my experience (20 years driving all over the country without an accident ever) frustrating drivers who have no idea what a corner apex is or when to brake induce others, including myself, to take risks we would rather not just to get past.
I enjoy driving with a bit of pace at times, albeit safely and within my and my car's abilities, and I get sick of being stuck behind people who have no idea. Reduce the frustration = reduce the risk of dangerous overtaking. If someone is constatly behind you on the corners, let them overtake AS SOON AS IT'S SAFE!

Lewis Splinter () | 12:21PM Wednesday, 28 Dec 2011

More police and stricter speed limits. You can't legislate against idiots but we need to do more during the Christmas period.