Safer roads

Land Transport NZ aims to ensure that New Zealand's roads are designed, constructed and managed safely and at a reasonable cost. To achieve this Land Transport NZ works in partnership with road controlling authorities (such as City and District Councils and Transit New Zealand), equipment suppliers and educational and enforcement organisations like ACC and NZ Police. Land Transport NZ sets safety standards for roads and promotes, assists and audits road controlling authorities' safety management systems.

Safety standards

New Zealand's Land Transport Rule: Traffic Control Devices 2004 contains the legal requirements for road signs, signals and markings. The Manual of Traffic Signs and Markings, Road and Traffic Standards and Traffic notes guide road providers on a wide range of traffic control devices. A list of these publications is available .

A road should be planned and developed to suit its function within the roading hierarchy of the road controlling authority. Roads should be provided with safety features appropriate to their function and speed limit.

Facilities for pedestrians and/or cyclists should be provided where pedestrian or cyclist numbers justify these or where they are part of a Safer Routes initiative.

Safety management systems

Land Transport NZ helps road providers improve their expertise and assists in the development and implementation safety management systems.

Road safety audit for new projects

Roading improvement projects which receive funding from Land Transport NZ need to be audited to ensure that all safety related issues have been identified and addressed as part of the project. Information about Road safety audit procedures for projects (Manual No. TFM9).

Crash reduction programme

One of Land Transport NZ's most successful road safety initiatives has been the Crash Reduction Study programme (formerly known as the 'Black Spot' programme), which has been running since 1985. A joint initiative between Land Transport NZ (previously known as LTSA or Ministry of Transport) and road controlling authorities, the programme identifies road sites with high crash rates - 'Crash locations' - and makes improvements to them where the number or severity of the crashes can be reduced.

Remedial works have been implemented at about 60 percent of crash locations. Those crash locations that have been improved have shown an average reduction in crashes of 34 percent, which corresponds to an estimated saving of about $3.0 billion in social cost.

Crash reduction study monitoring

The remedial works at crash locations are monitored in the Ministry of Transport/Land Transport NZ's enhanced Crash Analysis System (CAS). The results of this monitoring help to improve knowledge of suitable remedial works for the Crash Reduction Study programme.

Last updated: 17 August 2006