Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
National road freight organisation Transporting New Zealand is asking all road users to take extra care on the roads over Christmas and the summer holidays.
While most people are looking forward to a relaxing break and unwinding over the summer, road transport is a 24/7 business. Trucking companies keep delivering essential supplies at all hours of the day and night to ensure the economy keeps humming.
There will also be plenty of roadworks around the country, as NZTA takes advantage of the warmer and drier weather for the summer maintenance season.
“While we welcome the fact road crews are busy fixing New Zealand’s roads, this also means inevitable delays and hold-ups at a time when many people are on the road heading to their holiday spot,” says chief executive, Dom Kalasih.
He says patience is essential, and Transporting New Zealand fully supports the NZ Police in working to keep Kiwis safe on the roads.
“Trucks are restricted to 90 km/h, even on sections of road with a 110 km/h limit, so if you are a motorist, you may need to factor in taking a little more time for your journey.
“Don’t take risks, slow down, and always show courtesy to other road users.”
Kalasih says arriving a few minutes later than you originally planned is better than not arriving at all. Risk-taking behaviours by motorists also causes unnecessary anxiety for professional road users driving a truck.
Statistics show that New Zealand road deaths for 2024 were down on previous years – 270 for the year to December 16, compared with 319 for the same time in 2023.
However, New Zealand continues to compare poorly with other countries, recording 7.3 road fatalities per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022 – well ahead of Australia and more than twice as many as the UK and some European countries, according to data published by the International Transport Forum.
“Although it’s very pleasing that road fatalities are down on last year, there is still plenty of scope for improvement. It’s essential that all road users are driving sober and rested, buckling up, avoiding distractions, and taking their time.”
As well as being patient and courteous towards other drivers, slow drivers – both cars and trucks – should pull over to let vehicles behind them pass when it is safe.
Making sure you belt up and avoiding all distractions like using mobile phones or fiddling with controls while driving are other ways to prevent a tragedy from occurring on the road.
If you see unsafe driving or a road incident, you should report it to the Police on 111, or [star] 555 if the road incident is urgent but not life-threatening (such as non-injury crashes, traffic congestion, breakdowns and obstructions on the highway).
