Tikitere to Whakatāne highway speed limit under spotlight

State Highway 30. Photo / File

People from Tikitere to Whakatāne are being asked to share their insights, as Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency continues to review speed limits on state highways around the region.

State Highway 30 between Tikitere and Whakatāne is the latest to come under the spotlight, after being identified as a road where safer speed limits could make a big difference in preventing deaths and serious injuries.

Waka Kotahi director of regional relationships David Speirs said between 2010 and 2019 10 people died and 73 were seriously injured on the road.

"We're working toward a future where no one is killed or seriously injured in road crashes in Aotearoa New Zealand," he said.

"Lots of change is needed to get us there but there is one thing we can do that will make a huge difference immediately – making speeds safer on our roads.

"The speed of a vehicle at impact is the single biggest factor in determining whether you or someone you love walks away from a crash."

Speirs said Waka Kotahi had heard concerns from people in the community about the speeds people are travelling on SH30 between Tikitere and Whakatāne.

"Engaging with the community helps us get feedback and local knowledge on how people feel about current speeds in the area, including on roads around their local school, marae, business or workplace."

Waka Kotahi said the information helped when deciding if a speed limit change was the best thing to improve road safety, where new speed limits might begin or end, and if any other safety improvements might be needed.

The feedback also helps determine if and what speed limit changes will be formally consulted on.

"We'd like people to tell us about places that are hard to get to or from, how safe they feel crossing the highway or letting their children walk or cycle to school in certain areas, and if there are any other sites or information that we need to be particularly aware of," Speirs said.

"Reviewing speed limits is something we can do now to prevent avoidable deaths and help us achieve our Road to Zero target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 40 per cent over the next 10 years."

Feedback is now open until Wednesday July 7.