In an effort to save lives and reduce the number of serious crashes, the NZ Transport Agency is reviewing speed limits along parts of State Highway 33 and State Highway 30 in the Bay of Plenty through Paengaroa and between Ōkere Falls and Rotokawa Road.
“No matter what causes a crash, speed can be the difference between walking away or being carried away,” says Acting Director of Regional Relationships Ross I’Anson.
Five people died and 26 people were seriously injured in crashes on these roads in the last ten years (2009–2018).
“There are hazards like narrow road shoulders and steep drop-offs or ditches on the roadside. There are more vehicles, including heavy vehicles, driving through areas where people live, as well as in places popular for recreation, walking and cycling.”
“While we are making State Highway 33 safer with improvements like wide centrelines and road safety barriers, lower speeds through to Rotokawa Road will further help prevent deaths and serious injuries,” says Mr I’Anson.
The NZ Transport Agency is now formally asking for public feedback about proposals to change the speed limits through Paengaroa, and from Ōkere Falls through to Rotokawa Road.
“Local experience and knowledge of our roads is useful information and we value feedback from residents and communities about the speed limit changes we’re proposing,” says Mr I’Anson.
Consultation on the speed limit review is open from 19 August until 16 September.
Maps and submission forms are online at nzta.govt.nz/BOP-speed-reviews (external link)
|
Location |
Proposal |
|
Paengaroa |
Existing 70km/h speed limit through Paengaroa to be reduced to 60km/h. |
|
Ōkere Falls |
Existing 70km/h and 100km/h speed limits to be reduced to 60km/h. |
|
Ōkere Falls south to Waipuna Bay |
Existing 100km/h to be reduced to 80km/h. |
|
Waipuna Bay, through Mourea, to Okawa Bay |
Existing 100km/h and 70km/h speed limits to be reduced to 60km/h. |
|
Okawa Bay to Tikitere |
Existing 100km/h speed limit to be reduced to 80km/h. |
|
SH33/SH30 Intersection Speed Zone |
An intersection speed zone that extends 150m north of the SH33/SH30 intersection on SH33, and 150m south of the intersection on SH30; the intersection speed zone would temporarily lower the speed limit to 60km/h when people are turning right into or out of SH30 east. |
|
Tikitere to Rotokawa Road |
Existing 100km/h speed limit to be reduced to 80km/h. |
|
NOTES FOR EDITOR About Intersection Speed Zones Intersection Speed Zones are electronic signs that detect when someone is turning into or out of a side road and temporarily reduce the legal speed limit on the state highway (usually from 100 km/h to 60km/h or 70km/h). They also do this when someone is crossing the state highway from a side road. Intersection Speed Zones are sometimes called rural intersection activated warning signs or RIAWS and are already being successfully used around the country to improve intersection safety with minimal delays for road users. There is a video about intersection speed zones at the end of the BOP speed review page: |
