Praise for road safety scheme

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 15

Praise for road safety scheme

PA Wellington A British road safety expert has praised a New Zealand road safety programme aimed at cutting the road toll by using engineering measures. In her report to the Ministry of Transport and National Roads Board Miss Barbara Sabey said her “over-all impression is of how much has been achieved in little more than three years.” In 1985 Miss Sabey recommended New Zealand set up a programme of systemic road accident investigations. Twenty studies covering 2000 km of the State highway system have been made and engineering improvements for 12 of these studies have been completed. Another 20 studies have been done in urban areas and work

completed in eight of them. Her review of the implementation of her proposals is favourable and says that to build on the achievements it is important to maintain the initial enthusiasm and commitment to the programme. She recommends encouraging better co-opera-tion and communication between personnel in organisations taking part in accident investigations. The review says the returns in accident savings and economic benefits from implementing remedial works identified by the programme are considerable.

The Minister of Transport, Mr Jeffries, said the report showed New Zealand was achieving a lot in its attempts to cut the road toll.