Why are you changing speed limits?
Improving safety on local roads is a key priority for Christchurch City Council, we want our residents to get where they are going safely regardless of how they travel.
Introducing safe and appropriate speeds on our network is fundamental to improving safety and saving lives.
Council has a Level of Service to reduce the number of deaths or serious injuries from all crashes by 40% in 2030. That is a reduction of five or more per year, and for this to be under 71 crashes per year within the 10-year period. This is also a goal in the Road Safety Action Plan, which is a collaborative plan between Christchurch City Council, NZTA Waka Kotahi, ACC, FENZ and New Zealand Police. Having safe speeds is part of our solution to a safer network.
Why are speeds lowering around neighbourhood streets and schools?
Lowered speed limits have been in place around schools for some time, but the speed limit changes are no longer limited to just being outside the school front gate and are now focused on the journey to and from school.
The Council has taken an area-wide approach around schools using permanent 30km/h speed limits. We will implement as many as possible within the first two years of the Safe Speed Neighbourhoods programme.
On our busier roads, we’re using variable speed limits (using electronic signage) that will operate during school start and finish times only.
There are 145 schools in Christchurch that will need to have lower speeds
Visit the NZTA website to find out more about safe speeds around schools.(external link)
What are the benefits of lower speeds?
Speed determines whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed from a crash.
Speed is the key factor in deaths and serious injuries (DSi) – no matter what the cause of an accident is, it’s speed that determines whether or not you’ll walk away from it. It is important to remember that speed influences the stopping distance and severity in every crash, so it could be argued that speed is, in fact, a factor in every crash.
Reducing speed limits to safer speeds will result in a number of benefits:
- Reduced number of people getting seriously injured or killed on our roads.
- Safe walking or cycling trips to school for children and their families.
- Healthier environment with lower carbon emissions and improved air quality.
- Potential savings of $4.53m per life saved and $0.5m per injury prevented.
How do I report a speeding issue in my street?
If you have issues with drivers speeding, you can report this to the Police by using *555. This is free to call from a mobile phone to report road incidents which are urgent but not life-threatening. Find out more about reporting unsafe drivers on the Police website.(external link)
Will the Police be enforcing these lower speeds?
The NZ Police support safer speeds and are working closely with the Council to implement the speed changes.
Didn’t the government say there wouldn’t be any other blanket speed changes?
Yes, you may have heard that the Government is making changes to rules around speed limit reductions.
The Council is a road controlling authority (also known as an RCA), which gives us the ability* to consult on and set speed limits on the local roads within our council’s boundaries.
We are continuing in our delivery of the Safe Speed Neighbourhoods programme (Interim Speed Management Plan), as it was adopted by the elected Council on 5 July.
Advice from NZTA Waka Kotahi is that certified interim speed plans can continue to be implemented.
*Under the Land Transport (Enforcement Powers) Amendment Act 2009.
How is this work being funded?
This work had previously been in line to receive funding under the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) Climate Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Transport Choices programme.
On 20 December 2023, Hon Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport advised the Christchurch City Council that the Transport Choices funding programme would not continue.
The speed limit reductions in Linwood, Phillipstown, Woolston and Bromley will instead be funded internally through the council’s Minor Road Safety Programme.
NZTA Waka Kotahi have confirmed a funding assistance rate of 51% to this programme.