1 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:08,440 Speaker 1: Gilda. I'm Chelsea Daniels and this is the Front Page, 2 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: a daily podcast presented by the New Zealand Herald. The 3 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,200 Speaker 1: Government is keen on making it easier to get more 4 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: drivers on our roads. If proposed changes announced this week 5 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: go through. The second practical driving test required for a 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: full license will be scrapped and the number of eyesight 7 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: tests needed will be reduced, with new safety measures being 8 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 1: introduced as well. It comes as the government continues with 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: its pledge to reverse Labour's blankets speed limit reductions, something 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: National campaigned on. But will a more affordable driver's license 11 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 1: system and higher speed limits in some areas make our 12 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:52,680 Speaker 1: roads any safer. Today on the Front Page, we're joined 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 1: by AA Road Safety spokesperson Dylan Thompson to discuss the 14 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: government's latest plans for our roads. So, Dylan, the proposal 15 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: on changes to how you actually achieve your full license 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: is out for public consultation. It includes new safety measures 17 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: like a clean driving record of restricted drivers, harving the 18 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,920 Speaker 1: demerit threshold and introducing a zero alcohol limit for learner 19 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: and restricted drivers of any age. Now take me through 20 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: these changes? Are they long overdue use? 21 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 2: From the AOS perspective, we think that all those changes 22 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 2: that you just mentioned would be good things that we support. 23 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,920 Speaker 2: At the moment, we have a zero alcohol limit up 24 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 2: till the age of twenty, and then beyond that point 25 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:45,199 Speaker 2: you just have the standard point zero five adult alcohol limit. 26 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: And what this change would mean is that anybody on 27 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: a learner or a restricted license, regardless of their age, 28 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: would have a zero alcohol limit. So it would only 29 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: be once you had achieved a full driver license and 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,400 Speaker 2: were over the age of twenty that you could consume 31 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: any alcohol legally and get behind the wheel. We think 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: that's a good change. When you have people who, regardless 33 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: of their age, they have less experience on the roads, 34 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,919 Speaker 2: they're still learning, they're still developing their skills, all those 35 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:18,519 Speaker 2: kind of things, you want to not have anything that 36 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 2: can make your judgment of reactions worse, which alcohol can do. 37 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,959 Speaker 2: There's no reason for somebody to have to need to 38 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:29,920 Speaker 2: consume any alcohol in driving, So having a zero alcohol 39 00:02:30,000 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 2: limit until you get a full license makes a lot 40 00:02:32,200 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 2: of sense to us. The other changes really that are 41 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,079 Speaker 2: being proposed, you could just call them really making tougher 42 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: consequences for people if they break the rules when they're 43 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:44,679 Speaker 2: on a learner or restrictive license, we think that there's 44 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,480 Speaker 2: a lot of good positive benefits to doing that. It's 45 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: the highest risk group on the roads in terms of 46 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: crash rates. People under twenty five and people who have 47 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 2: only recently started to drive have the highest crash rates 48 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:00,440 Speaker 2: on the roads. And right now, far too many are 49 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 2: quite comfortable about breaking a whole bunch of rules. And 50 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:07,440 Speaker 2: so if we can have more of a deterrent or 51 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 2: more incentives to get those people to stick to the 52 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 2: rules because they don't want to risk losing their license 53 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: or taking longer to progress to a full license, we 54 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 2: think that could actually motivate people more than the prospect 55 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 2: of a fine. That actual risk to a license may 56 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:26,560 Speaker 2: make some of those people better behave and stick to 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 2: the rules, and that means less people using cell phones 58 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:33,399 Speaker 2: while they're driving, potentially not wearing seat belts, driving drunk, speeding, 59 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 2: all those kind of things. 60 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: The Transport Minister Chris Bishop says New Zealand is an 61 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: outlier internationally in requiring a practical test for someone on 62 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: a restricted license applying for their full license. 63 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: Yes, that is true. So New Zealand is one of 64 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 2: the few countries in the world that has two on 65 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,800 Speaker 2: road driving tests. Most other similar countries like ours, have 66 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 2: just one on road driving tests, which would be like 67 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: the equivalent of when you get your restrictive license in 68 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: New Zealand. Currently, most of those other countries that only 69 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 2: have one test also have requirements for a certain number 70 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,679 Speaker 2: of hours of practice that learner drivers have to clock 71 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,360 Speaker 2: up and complete before they can sit that test. So 72 00:04:22,880 --> 00:04:27,279 Speaker 2: some countries have requirements for having to complete certain number 73 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 2: of practice hours with a supervising driver who is somebody 74 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 2: with a full driver's license, and other countries, mainly in Europe, 75 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: they have requirements for learners have to complete a certain 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 2: number of professional lessons or hours of professional training before 77 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 2: they can sit that test. So from the AA's perspective, 78 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 2: we think New Zealand could look at moving to one 79 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,760 Speaker 2: single on road test. But what we think should be 80 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:55,440 Speaker 2: part of that if we're going to do it, is 81 00:04:55,560 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 2: introducing some minimum number of hours that learners would have 82 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,960 Speaker 2: to complete of super high practice before you could sit 83 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 2: that test. Do we know why people don't have their 84 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 2: fool license? 85 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 3: We don't know exactly. I'm an anecdotally certainly people I 86 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 3: talk to going from your restricted to your full sitting 87 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 3: that second test. If you already know how to drive. 88 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 3: It's really stressful. It's not expensive, by the way, it's 89 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 3: one hundred bucks. You've got to take time off school 90 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 3: or work or whatever you're doing. You've got to go 91 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:28,359 Speaker 3: bock it. You've got to find a time that suits everybody. 92 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,280 Speaker 3: A lot of people just don't bother graduating from their 93 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 3: restrictor to their full So there's a lot of people 94 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 3: out there right now breaking the law, just driving on 95 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 3: they're restricted. That's not good. You also want young people 96 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 3: in particularly to graduate through the system properly, and so 97 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 3: we're bringing New Zealand into line with other countries. 98 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: I got my driver's license in South Australia, and I 99 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: remember that all those trips, and we had a log book. 100 00:05:51,720 --> 00:05:52,960 Speaker 4: That my dad had to sign. 101 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: Every time I'd drive to work or drive back or something. 102 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,279 Speaker 1: We'd log it in the book and then take that 103 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: book and then go get the practic driving test. 104 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 2: Why is there such. 105 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:06,440 Speaker 1: An adverse reaction to there being two practical tests though? 106 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:08,599 Speaker 1: Doesn't they give us the assurance that we need to 107 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:10,440 Speaker 1: have someone on our roads full time. 108 00:06:10,680 --> 00:06:14,039 Speaker 2: I guess the way the government's looking at it is 109 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:16,280 Speaker 2: sort of asking are we actually getting benefits and do 110 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:20,120 Speaker 2: we need that second test because it does come with 111 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 2: additional cost for people of having to pay about one 112 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 2: hundred dollars for doing that second test, and assuming that 113 00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 2: they pass it that first time, and especially in a 114 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 2: bunch of more rural provincial parts of New Zealand things 115 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 2: like that, it can take quite a bit of time 116 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 2: and travel for somebody to go and do that second test. 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,039 Speaker 2: They might have to take a day off work or 118 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,040 Speaker 2: the outside of school, they might have to get a 119 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 2: family member or somebody to drive them quite a distance 120 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: to get to the testing location. The government is really, 121 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 2: i guess, asking the question of is that needed and 122 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:57,719 Speaker 2: is it really delivering benefits to road safety? And if not, 123 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: then could we reduce some costs and make it's a 124 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,040 Speaker 2: bit cheaper and easier for people to get a license. 125 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 2: And certainly we want people to be able to go 126 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 2: through that licensing process without undue barriers or difficulties. But 127 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 2: I think the key thing from the AA's perspective is 128 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 2: also wanting to make sure that we're actually having people 129 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: learn and develop and do the practice and build up 130 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: the skills and experience that we want before they start 131 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 2: driving solo. And that's why we think that having some 132 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 2: requirements around minimum number of hours of practice would be 133 00:07:33,760 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 2: a really good thing to bring in if we were 134 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 2: going to look at not having that second test. 135 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 4: Why hasn't it happened yet? 136 00:07:39,200 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: Because I don't want to give away my age. But 137 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: when I got my license and had to do those 138 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: hours in South I was it was a while ago. 139 00:07:46,520 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 2: That's a hard question for me to answer. Really. I 140 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 2: think New Zealand has developed a culture that doesn't actually 141 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 2: take learning to drive and driving seriously enough. A lot 142 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: of people see it as something that doesn't require that 143 00:08:00,440 --> 00:08:03,840 Speaker 2: much time and effort. From the AA's perspective, we think 144 00:08:03,880 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 2: we need to change as a country. This is a 145 00:08:06,160 --> 00:08:10,760 Speaker 2: critical life skill and it's also something that literally puts 146 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 2: people's lives at risk. And right now New Zealand has 147 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 2: one of the worst road safety records in terms of 148 00:08:18,360 --> 00:08:20,920 Speaker 2: developed countries around the world. We have one of the 149 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 2: highest rate of road deaths from crashes and the highest 150 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:28,040 Speaker 2: risk group is under twenty five year olds. They die 151 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,280 Speaker 2: at the highest rate. So we have not been doing 152 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 2: a great job in terms of actually training and preparing 153 00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 2: people to be safe drivers. Twenty eleven was the last 154 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 2: time that there was a significant review of driver licensing system. 155 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 2: That's the way government tends to work. For these things, 156 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,120 Speaker 2: especially significant things, they're not going to be reviewed and 157 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:53,480 Speaker 2: looked at all the time because it takes up a 158 00:08:53,520 --> 00:08:57,359 Speaker 2: bunch of time and effort from the government officials and departments. 159 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: You only get these opportunities come around occasionally, maybe once 160 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 2: a decade or so. And that's in particular why right 161 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 2: now we think, from our perspective at the AA, if 162 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:10,000 Speaker 2: we're going to look at making some significant changes, we're 163 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,280 Speaker 2: hoping the government is open to looking at some other 164 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 2: additional options as well as what's been proposed, and really 165 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 2: looking at a chance to increase and step up the 166 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 2: standards that we are preparing and training people to start 167 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 2: driving on our roads. We think if we do that, 168 00:09:26,480 --> 00:09:29,200 Speaker 2: if we build better foundations right from the start, that 169 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 2: is going to then flow on to a long term 170 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:36,319 Speaker 2: improvement in road safety in New Zealand. 171 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: Now all of this comes as the government is moving 172 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:53,440 Speaker 1: ahead with reversing Labour's blanket speed limit reductions. What does 173 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:55,800 Speaker 1: this reversal of a reduction mean. 174 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 2: It's really unfortunate that I think the whole issue around 175 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 2: speed limits and speed changes has become very polarizing and 176 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 2: very politicized, and I don't think that's actually a good 177 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 2: thing in terms of just our approach to setting speed limits. 178 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 2: It's a lot more complicated than a bunch of people 179 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 2: have think it is, or some of the headlines have 180 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 2: made it out to be. Some of the roads that 181 00:10:21,320 --> 00:10:24,920 Speaker 2: had speed reductions in recent years are going to see 182 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 2: their speed limits go back up to what they were 183 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 2: before by the end of June. There is a lot 184 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 2: of variation in terms of some of the highways around 185 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 2: the country that had reductions going back up automatically. Others 186 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: are currently having consultation, so it's still not certain at 187 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 2: this stage whether they will go back or whether they 188 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 2: will keep the lower limit. Some of the urban roads 189 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 2: around the country going back up to the limits they 190 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: had before. A number of those in Auckland of urban 191 00:10:57,320 --> 00:10:59,880 Speaker 2: roads that went down to thirty kilometers an hour going 192 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 2: back to fifty kilometer or in our limits, and different 193 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,640 Speaker 2: parts of the country and in different places, the picture 194 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: looks a little bit different. So the best I can 195 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 2: summarize it is that some of the speed limit changes 196 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 2: that we saw in the last few years are going 197 00:11:14,520 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 2: to go back to what they were before. Twenty twenty 198 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 2: and some of them are going to stay in place, 199 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,640 Speaker 2: and we're still working through the details. It should be 200 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 2: May this year that we will have a complete and 201 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:27,600 Speaker 2: final picture on which ones are going to go back 202 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 2: up and which ones won't. 203 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:32,040 Speaker 4: Right, So, there are different categories of these roads, and 204 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,680 Speaker 4: I think councilors have until you're quite right may to 205 00:11:34,760 --> 00:11:39,040 Speaker 4: advise the NZTA of those specified roads subject to those 206 00:11:39,160 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 4: reversals and things. 207 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,640 Speaker 1: Why shouldn't we be driving slower on our roads? Though 208 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: there have to be more negatives than positives to upping 209 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:48,200 Speaker 1: speed limits, I would presume. 210 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,439 Speaker 2: I think that it's actually a more complicated picture than that. 211 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:53,439 Speaker 2: One way of looking at it is you could say 212 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,199 Speaker 2: that if we had people traveling slower speed limits, then 213 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 2: there's going to be less risk and less force in bold. 214 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 2: So if something goes wrong, people were going to be 215 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:04,400 Speaker 2: less likely with that ending up in a crash and 216 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: less likely of harm from that crash. But we also 217 00:12:08,240 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 2: have the balance of people's ability to actually move around 218 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:13,760 Speaker 2: and for goods to move and that's one of the 219 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 2: reasons why we have different types of roads, urban roads, highways, 220 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:21,480 Speaker 2: rural roads and things like that. And from our perspective 221 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: here at the AA, we really felt that we needed 222 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 2: to be looking at three things for speed limits to 223 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 2: work most effectively, and that was having limits that match 224 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 2: the environment that they're in, having limits that make sense 225 00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:37,840 Speaker 2: to people, and having limits that are set using a 226 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 2: strong evidence base, looking at the crash history on those roads, 227 00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 2: the likely impacts, those kind of things. And in recent 228 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:48,080 Speaker 2: years there was a growing sense amongst a bunch of 229 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 2: communities out there and things like that that they are 230 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 2: a bit of a disconnect had developed, and speed limits 231 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,640 Speaker 2: were being put in place by authorities that didn't match 232 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:00,760 Speaker 2: the environment or the purpose of the roads in some cases, 233 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:03,000 Speaker 2: or didn't make sense to people. We actually did some 234 00:13:03,040 --> 00:13:06,240 Speaker 2: research for our research foundation a few years ago looking 235 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 2: at a number of highways that had reduced from one 236 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 2: hundred kilometers an hour to eighty kilometers an hour, and 237 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,320 Speaker 2: it was really interesting to see the varied impact on 238 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 2: some of those stretches of highway. After the limit changed, 239 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,400 Speaker 2: you saw reductions and the speeds people were traveling, and 240 00:13:20,440 --> 00:13:22,959 Speaker 2: they were traveling quite close to the limit. On other 241 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 2: stretches of highway you saw very little change and actually 242 00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 2: the speeds that people were traveling, and you ended up 243 00:13:28,840 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 2: with the majority of the traffic just traveling above the 244 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 2: speed limits. So we think the best result here is 245 00:13:34,840 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 2: we need to try and find that sweet spot of 246 00:13:37,200 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 2: having speed limits that are going to make sense to 247 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:44,000 Speaker 2: people and suit the environment, because that is where then 248 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 2: you get good compliance and you have people traveling at 249 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:50,600 Speaker 2: those limits. If you have situations where the limits just 250 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 2: feel and seem too low to people, they can often 251 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 2: just choose to ignore them, and then you're not actually 252 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,240 Speaker 2: getting their safety benefits, and you've got a situation where 253 00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 2: you just have the majority of people flouting the rules. 254 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 1: So you just have to take in human nature as well. 255 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: There are always people who are going to be flouting 256 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: the law and going higher than eighty on a highway. 257 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,200 Speaker 2: There are going to be some, absolutely, but it's trying 258 00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:17,720 Speaker 2: to find what works for the majority. So it's not 259 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:22,120 Speaker 2: thinking about the complete outlies those people who deliberately and 260 00:14:22,240 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 2: knowingly just want to drive really fast and go way 261 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 2: above the speed limit because they want to or they 262 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:29,960 Speaker 2: don't really care about the rules. I think it's more 263 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:33,800 Speaker 2: focused on the vast majority of generally compliant people and 264 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:36,640 Speaker 2: trying to work with what's going to make sense to them. 265 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:39,200 Speaker 2: Example of some of the survey work we've done around 266 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:42,720 Speaker 2: our AA members, we've seen really strong levels of support 267 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 2: for variable speed limits and low speed limits around schools 268 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 2: at those times the start and the end of school 269 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 2: days when there's a lot of kids around, and people say, absolutely, 270 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,120 Speaker 2: we think lower limits at those times would be a 271 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:58,520 Speaker 2: good thing and we should do that. But then if 272 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 2: you're talking about those lower limits being in place when 273 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:05,560 Speaker 2: it's nine o'clock at night and there's very few people 274 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 2: or traffic around, then people have a different view and 275 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 2: think doesn't really make sense to me at that point 276 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 2: to still be doing thirty kilometers an hour when I'm 277 00:15:14,680 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 2: the only car on the road. So we think that 278 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:20,640 Speaker 2: the approach that the government is taking around variable speed 279 00:15:20,640 --> 00:15:23,840 Speaker 2: limits around schools and having lower limits at those key 280 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:25,840 Speaker 2: times makes a lot of sense and is going to 281 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,560 Speaker 2: work well with a lot of people slowing down those 282 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:33,640 Speaker 2: high risk times. Twenty twenty four looks set to have 283 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:38,160 Speaker 2: the lowest toll in more than a decade. This road 284 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 2: safety advocate has a theory on why it. 285 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:46,120 Speaker 5: Is globally recognized that the road toll follows the economy. 286 00:15:46,440 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 5: When you've got high unemployment, these guys don't have the 287 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 5: money to go out and buy big Harley Davidson's and 288 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 5: bang them into them posts. When the economy improves, everybody 289 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 5: gets optimistic. People buy fast cars, they buy fast bikes, 290 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 5: and the end result. 291 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:02,479 Speaker 2: Is more fatalities. 292 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: Two hundred and eighty nine people lost their lives on 293 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: New Zealand's roads last year, and while that's still obviously 294 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: too many, it's the first time it's been under three 295 00:16:18,080 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: hundred since twenty fourteen, and the lowest rate of road 296 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: deaths per capita in a century, So are we doing 297 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,960 Speaker 1: something right when it comes to road safety to have 298 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:29,560 Speaker 1: such a milestone. 299 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 2: We were extremely happy to see that result. It was 300 00:16:34,560 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 2: very pleasing to see us fall back below a three 301 00:16:37,680 --> 00:16:40,760 Speaker 2: hundred level, and if you look on a per population basis, 302 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 2: it was actually the lowest rate of road deaths New 303 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 2: Zealanders had since the nineteen twenty so basically in one 304 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,440 Speaker 2: hundred years, and we hope that we're going to see 305 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:53,080 Speaker 2: that continue. We've seen individual years in the park. Twenty 306 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 2: thirteen was one where we had two hundred and fifty 307 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 2: three deaths, the lowest ever achieved in recent times. So 308 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 2: we've had individual years in the past and then things 309 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:02,880 Speaker 2: have jumped back up and they've just been a bit 310 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:05,639 Speaker 2: of an aberration, so we are wanting to take a 311 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 2: little bit more time to see what happens in this 312 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 2: year and if we can replicate that performance. We're really 313 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 2: hoping that it is actually signifying that we've turned a 314 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 2: bit of a corner and are seeing some improvements in 315 00:17:19,760 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 2: our road safety record. There are some positive things that 316 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 2: have been going on in New Zealand over recent years. 317 00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:28,560 Speaker 2: It's often doesn't seem that way because most of the 318 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:32,040 Speaker 2: stories that are out there about road safety are about 319 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 2: horrific and tragic crashes. But we have seen a lot 320 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 2: of upgrades and improvements, particularly to some of our highest 321 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 2: risk highways in New Zealand. Over the last sort of 322 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 2: fifteen to twenty years, a lot of those what used 323 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 2: to be our highest risk highways have been replaced by 324 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 2: new modern stretches of road or they've had significant safety 325 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:58,680 Speaker 2: upgrades and they have delivered raally substantial crash reductions. We've 326 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 2: also continue to see vehicle safety improvements just progressing and 327 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 2: getting better over time, so vehicles are more protective and 328 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:11,160 Speaker 2: also have more technology to help prevent crashes. We've seen 329 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 2: a bunch of changes happen around trunk and drugs driving, 330 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 2: and the police have really worked hard to ramp back 331 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 2: up alcohol testing because impair driving by alcohol and drugs 332 00:18:23,640 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 2: in New Zealand is a chronically bad problem and it 333 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 2: can get close to being forty plus percent of road 334 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 2: deaths in a year, so it's great to see the 335 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 2: police really cracking down on that. Again. We think that 336 00:18:37,280 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 2: one of the big things that we haven't been doing 337 00:18:39,440 --> 00:18:42,240 Speaker 2: enough on from the AA's perspective is actually around that 338 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 2: driver behavior, driver training and trying to upscale people, and 339 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,919 Speaker 2: so if we can do more to actually have people 340 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,120 Speaker 2: have a bit more knowledge, more awareness, more skills, more 341 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,600 Speaker 2: experience as they're starting out, we really hope that we're 342 00:18:56,600 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 2: only going to see our road safety records keep gets 343 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 2: better and that means less and less people being hurt, 344 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 2: seriously heard or killed and creatures on our rights. 345 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining us, Dylan. 346 00:19:08,119 --> 00:19:08,480 Speaker 2: Thank you. 347 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: That's it for this episode of The Front Page. You 348 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:18,920 Speaker 1: can read more about today's stories and extensive news coverage 349 00:19:18,960 --> 00:19:22,960 Speaker 1: at enzdherld dot co dot nz. The Front Page is 350 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: produced by Ethan Sills and Richard Martin, who is also 351 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: our sound engineer. I'm Chelsea Daniels. Subscribe to the Front 352 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:35,199 Speaker 1: Page on iHeartRadio or wherever you get your podcasts, and 353 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:39,360 Speaker 1: tune in on Monday for another look behind the headlines.