Selwyn_Times: May 01, 2024

Selwyn Times Wednesday May 1 2024
4
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DEBATE: State Highway 75 between Halswell and Akaroa had speed limit
reductions applied in September 2022. With the coalition government
considering increasing speed limits on some state highways, debate has
started on whether the limits should be raised on SH75.
MP makes U-turn on
speed limit changes
• By Dylan Smits
BANKS PENINSULA MP Vanessa
Weenink has changed her mind about
increasing speed limits for State Highway
75.
It comes after she received crash data
from police Canterbury
rural area commander
Peter Cooper, which
Weenink says shows a
decrease in crashes after
speed limits were reduced
in September 2022.
The speed limit was
reduced from 100km/h to
80km/h between Halswell
and Little River, and
lowered to 60km/h in most
sections of the Little River
to Akaroa stretch.
National MP Weenink
will now submit against
raising the SH75 speed
limit when her coalition
government considers
which state highways to
increase speed limits on.
The review will be part of
the Government’s “accelerate NZ”
plan.
Vanessa
Weenink
Peter
Cooper
The data, going back to 2015, shows a
decrease in fatal and other crashes along
the whole state highway from Halswell
to Akaroa after the speed limit change,
Weenink said.
“To me the police data is very clear that
it’s been successful in improving safety.
Nobody wants to be the person who says ‘I
want to see more crashes’.”
Weenink had the goal of restoring the
higher limits while campaigning, as long
as it was determined to be safe.
Cooper and Weenink declined to release
the data to Selwyn Times.
Weenink said she could not share the
data because it was confidential and she
did not want to break police trust.
A police spokesperson said the
figures Cooper shared were “very brief,
anecdotal numbers’’.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Do you believe all or sections of
State Highway 75 should have
an increased speed limit? Email
your views in 200 words or less to
dylan.smits@starmedia.kiwi
They were not “official statistics” so
police were unable to share them publicly,
the spokesperson said.
Crash data obtained by Selwyn Times
for the straighter sections of SH75, from
Halswell to Little River from January 2021
to the present, shows the 80km/h speed
limit had a marginal impact on decreasing
crashes.
There were eight serious crashes in the
area before the speed limit change and
seven afterwards.
For all crashes, there were 30 crashes
before the speed limit change and 24
afterwards.
Weenink now believes the straighter
sections of the highway from Halswell
to Little River should also stay at
80km/h, saying the different data she
received also showed a decrease in crashes
there.
“I am open to any discussions around
that, of course.”
AA research and road safety manager
Dylan Thomsen said the association
believes the section from Halswell to
Little River should have a speed limit of
100km/h, which then reduces towards
Akaroa.
“It is a section of highway that has
low-medium risk levels compared to
other highways around the country, but
becomes twisty and windy after Little
River,” he said.
“Our preference would be to see the
roads improved to be safer rather than
lowering limits.”
Weenink said she will make a submission
against increasing the speed limit
once the Ministry of Transport sets up a
review process.
“As soon as I get information about that,
then I’ll make a submission.”