Kiri Gillespie: Reducing speed limits only half the battle to stop speeders

Tara Rd at Pāpāmoa is a spot popular for people speeding in the Bay of Plenty but is the appropriate response reducing the speed limit? Photo / File

It seems that every other day I encounter someone breaking the speed limit.

It's almost guaranteed at specific locations in the Bay of Plenty and part of me can't help but feel these drivers might as well, it's not like they're being pulled up for it.

Now I'm not knocking the New Zealand Police. They've already got plenty of responsibilities on their hands. But we have local and central government pushing to lower the speed limit then, in my view, forgetting all about it because it's not their problem any more.

To me, it seems a little unfair.

Just last week, the Government announced plans to reduce speed limits throughout New Zealand past schools. Fair enough. It makes sense to slow things down outside areas with such a high concentration of children.

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And earlier this month, the Tauranga City Council commissioners voted to reduce speeds on 10 roads and outside five schools. Most proposed reductions had community support, according to the submissions, so commissioners did right by the community it would seem.

But then what?

I've lost count of the times I've been passed in 50km/h and 70km/h zones by motorists speeding – particularly on some of the roads included in Tauranga's changes. I'm no dawdler. I stick to the limit but in doing so I feel that I'm a minority some days.

Just ask yourself; when was the last time you followed a car actually doing the speed limit on Maunganui Rd outside Mount Maunganui College, Turret Rd near Hairini Bridge, or on Te Ngae Rd in Rotorua?

People just don't seem to care. I believe we're making it easy for them.

Such ambivalence to the speed limit was highlighted by the AA in its submission to the Tauranga council that opposed some proposed speed reductions. AA's Stacey Spall recommended in her submission a review of the roading environment be made instead to encourage more "buy-in from local road users".

I agree.

If people are already speeding, it's unlikely they're going to adhere to even lower speed restrictions.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not condoning speeding. That classic line of "the faster you go, the bigger the mess" absolutely has merit.

But we need to do more if we're to slow people down. Simply doing the paperwork and relying on personal accountability isn't going to cut it, in my view.

We need physical, tangible change. Whether that's in the form of a police car or speed camera on the side of the road, or perhaps speed bumps and engineering changes, so be it.