Letter to Editor Otago Daily Times

Thursday 12th Oct 2000 Penny Webster Article -- Other

The Otago Daily Times Editorial (Monday 9th October) aptly labels the proposed lowering of the road speed limit as "one of the dottier ideas" contained in the National Road Safety Committee's strategy.

This proposal highlights the problem of trying to use simplistic restrictions to lower the road toll. Lowering the road speed limit to 90km/h would be a huge step backwards. The issue is not one of lower speed, but of road quality and driver behaviour.

One only has to look at the motorways during adverse weather conditions, when some drivers still travel at the lawful speed limit, while the sensible thing would be to cut speed. Then there are those who drive at 80 kms in the fast lane in pristine weather conditions.

New Zealand's speed limit is already one of the world's lowest. The overwhelming majority of other countries have speed limits of 110 to 130 km/h.

The proposal to cut open-road speed limits is not the answer--better roads and driver education are.

Yours sincerely

Penny Webster MP ACT Transport Spokesperson

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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