SAFE HUTT VALLEY NEWS RELEASE – 19 SEPTEMBER 2012

Positive results for Hutt City road users

Hutt City roads are some of the safest in New Zealand according to New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) figures recently released.

NZTA’s ‘Communities at Risk Register’ shows Hutt City has a low crash rate when compared with other territorial local authorities. It ranked 67th out of 71 for crashes resulting in serious injury or fatality.

Mayor Ray Wallace says the results are positive.

“It’s fantastic to see Hutt City’s crash statistics rate well against other areas.

“In fact there has been a downward trend in the number of serious injury crashes on our roads over the past 10 years which is a great result and a credit to police, council’s own road safety efforts and local road users.

“Last year we also had the lowest number of reported crashes causing injury in the city, 130, since 2005.” he says.

Police area commander Mike Hill agrees the results are pleasing, particularly in the area of serious injury crashes caused by young drivers.

“We recorded just two serious injury crashes caused by drivers aged 15-24 last year which is down from 25 three years ago in 2007.

However Area Commander Mike Hill stresses that even one injury on our roads is one too many.
“As a community we need to continue to make road safety a priority and work together to reduce crashes on our roads even further,” he says.

Note to editors:

Safe Hutt Valley is a group of organisations working together to improve safety across the Hutt Valley region.

The organisations involved are Upper Hutt City Council, Hutt City Council, ACC, Regional Public Health, Hutt Valley District Health Board, Ahuru Mowai o Te Awakairangi (formerly known as the Hutt Valley Family Violence Network) and the Police.

The main aims of Safe Hutt Valley are to reduce crime and family violence, improve road safety, reduce harm from alcohol, and prevent injury and suicide.

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