Community invited to discuss speed limits on SH1 north of Puhoi

3 Minutes•By NZ Trucking magazine•October 15, 2019

Community members in Warkworth and Puhoi are invited to share their views on the speed limit on SH1 as the NZ Transport Agency strives to make the roads safer for everyone who uses them.

The NZTA will hold drop-in public meetings and invite online feedback about proposals to:

Reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h from SH1 L Phillips Road (near Sheepworld) to Kaipara Flats Road.
Reduce the speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h from Warkworth to Puhoi.

The NZTA‘s director of regional relationships Steve Mutton says the proposed changes to speed limits would have minimal effect on travel time. Along the 15km route, average travel times would increase by just over 10 seconds.

There have been a high number of crashes on SH1 between L Phillips Road and Puhoi. Between 2009 and 2018, there were 209 crashes, 13 people were killed and 45 people were seriously injured. More than 23,000 vehicles travel the route each day with vehicle numbers increasing.

“Along with the devastating effect on families and communities, crashes on this route can cause extensive delays and long detours if there are road closures,” says Mutton.

“We want to make the roads safer for everyone who uses them. We are doing this through a range of safety treatments between Warkworth and Wellsford, but we can also make this stretch of road safer by ensuring we have appropriate and safe speeds.”

Mutton says speed increases both the likelihood of crashes and the severity of crashes when they happen, and a small reduction in speed can make a big difference, especially when cyclists or pedestrians are involved.

“Most crashes are caused by a number of factors, but even when it‘s not the cause of a crash, speed is most likely to determine whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed.”

Locals know their roads, so the NZTA wants to hear what people think about current speed limits and the proposed changes, and will use the feedback to recommend what speed limits are best for these roads before formal consultation begins. Feedback can be provided by: