Although reducing speed limits might seem like a good idea in reducing serious injury or death, Bowyer said he did not believe lowering speed limits would make a huge difference to road safety.
"The AA sees reducing speeds as not the way to make our roads here in Wairarapa safer," he said.
"We believe roads should be engineered to provide safer roads. The roads need to be brought up to spec.
"For too long, there's been under-investment in our roading infrastructure, and [lowering speeds] just seems to be the cheapest way to do anything about it.
"The blanket approach of simply focusing on speed is not what we believe – it's part of the toolbox but by no means do we see it as being the way.
"Just trying to make people go slower is not going to stop the one or two-star safety cars being on the road, people not using their seatbelts, or getting behind the wheel after having too much to drink.
"It's a multi-problem approach, and safer roads should be what we're looking for first."
The changes proposed by NZTA's rule would require the agency and regional transport committees to produce detailed speed management plans every three years.
It would also set out all proposed changes over a 10-year period, including planned changes to speed limits as well as details on planned infrastructure improvements and potential use of speed cameras on high-risk routes.
"The current process for making changes to speed limits, through local bylaws or a gazetting process can be a lengthy, complicated, and often difficult process for communities to engage in," the agency's director of land transport Kane Patena said.
"The changes proposed in this rule aim to make the process simpler, more effective and more transparent for everyone."
The rule also aimed to improve safety outside schools by reducing speed limits around urban schools to 30km/h (or 40km/h where appropriate) and a maximum of 60km/h around rural schools.
However, Bowyer used Saddle Rd in the Tararua district as an example of speed reduction not making a difference.
"Saddle Rd was reduced to 60km/h. No one sticks to it. It's a racetrack in getting up and down the hill," he said.
"If you reduce the speed limit and no one takes any notice, what's the point?
"Drivers will get frustrated at reduced speeds, and then they'll do something stupid. The amount of frustration that will happen at 80km/h will be far higher than 90 or 100km/h."
Bowyer said if the Government were serious about reducing death and serious injury, it should be installing side barriers on State Highway 2.
"The big problem for Wairarapa is that there are too many power poles within five metres of the road."
In a crash, that would be like driving into a wall of concrete, he said.
"Safety barriers are the way to avoid this. Scandinavian countries have installed a lot of cable side barriers, and that's had a huge impact of reducing fatalities.
"Cable side barriers catch cars and slow it down before anything happens."
Bowyer said AA Wairarapa was putting together a survey for its members so they could have their say in the consultation process regarding Wairarapa roads.
He also urged Wairarapa people to get in touch with Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty and let him know if they were for or against the consultation process.
"Everyone needs to have their say because we all use the roads," he said.
"We need to speak up as one voice because that's how you get what you really want."
The Setting of Speed Limits Rule Public consultation ends on June 25.
