We're making it safer around all schools and surrounding neighbourhoods. Whether you're visiting whānau and friends, letting tamariki walk, scooter or bike to school, or driving to work or home again, you should be able to do it safely.

We're adopting an area-based approach to changing speed limits across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

Introducing safe and appropriate speeds on our network is fundamental to improving safety and saving lives. These changes will provide more consistency in communities, settlements and around schools. This approach also helps drivers know when they’re travelling in a safe speed area.

To see which streets are affected by the speed limit changes, visit the safer speeds map

What we're doing 

We’re reducing speeds from 50km/h to 30km/h around schools or 40km/h in neighbourhood streets, and Banks Peninsula settlements and roads, especially those around schools.

Streets and neighbourhoods around schools have been prioritised to make it safer for children to get to and from school.

Council approved a revised version of the Safe Speed Neighbourhood proposal on 5 July 2023. We started changing speeds and signage around schools in mid-September.

Safe speeds save lives

Regardless of the cause of a crash, speed is the difference between someone being able to walk away relatively unharmed, or being seriously injured or killed.

Safe speed neighbourhoods

When everyone travels a bit slower people feel safer using the street, and walk, scoot or bike to parks, schools and shops.

Safe speeds near schools

We're in the process of lowering speeds to 30km/h outside all schools in Christchurch and Banks Peninsula. This will make it safer for tamariki (children) and rangatahi (young people) to get to school and home again.

Safe speeds in Banks Peninsula

Speed limits have already been reduced in several areas of Banks Peninsula, and over the next two years, we will be lowering speeds to 30km/h on roads on or around all schools.

Speeds in new subdivisions

Safe and appropriate speed limits will be set in all new developments through the subdivision process, to support a speed limit aligned with the One Network Framework for the street when it opens for use.

Road to Zero Strategy

Road to Zero is New Zealand’s Road Safety strategy to significantly reduce death and serious injury on our roads by 40 per cent by 2030.

FAQs