The government should cancel the planned $70 million spend-up on Northland one-lane bridges and divert the money into desperately needed safety projects, says the car review website dogandlemon.com.
Editor Clive Matthew-Wilson, who is an outspoken road safety advocate, says:
One-lane bridges are slow, but theyre generally reasonably safe. However, throughout the country, hardly a week goes by without another head-on collision or accident caused by a vehicle running off the road.
Centre median barriers and roadside fencing can prevent up to 90% of accidents caused by head-on collisions or running off the road, with no evidence of increased road trauma for motorcyclists.
Removing gravel from roadsides and installing rumble strips offers another chance to save multiple lives. Yet these vital safety features, which often cost comparatively little, are missing from some of the most dangerous roads in the country.
"The bottom line is this: $70 million buys a lot of roading improvements that will save multiple lives throughout the country. The pledge to replace ten Northland one-lane bridges was an irresponsible election bribe. The government must now do the responsible thing and cancel these Northland projects in favour of road safety improvements throughout the country."
Many New Zealand rural roads are like a staircase without a handrail: you make a mistake and there's a high chance of getting hurt.
Whether or not the present carnage continues is largely in the government's hands.
