Direction 3: Maximise safety and environmental protection

Our transport system creates unacceptable levels of harm to people and the environment.

Progress has been made in some areas, particularly through cleaner and safer vehicle technology, but much more needs to be done.

There has been a noticeable annual increase in traffic-related deaths and serious injuries since 2012 after many decades of decline.

Reversing this trend requires new approaches to safety. We should be guided by the 'Vision Zero' movement, which aims to eliminate transport-related deaths and serious injuries.

This approach accepts that people make mistakes, and seeks to minimise the harm from any mistakes.

Find out more on the Vision Zero Network website.

In addition, our approach to transport safety needs to be in line with health and safety legislation which gives people the highest level of protection against harm.

Priorities are to:

improve the safety for those walking, cycling or riding motorcycles
address safety issues for people crossing roads and railways.
improve personal safety and security while travelling.

Overall, to make progress we need to give safety a higher priority in our decision-making than it has at the moment.

We must also do more to minimise the harmful environmental and health impacts of the transport system. It is therefore fundamental that the use of fossil fuels is reduced, and harmful pollutants are prevented from entering Auckland's waterways.

Pollutants and particulate emissions from vehicles and road dust reduce air quality and harm people's health, particularly those who have fragile respiratory systems or who live close to busy roads.

Petrol and diesel vehicles are the largest contributors to Auckland's emissions, which means transport is critical to reducing Auckland’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Making substantial progress on reducing Auckland's greenhouse gas emissions from transport will require a major reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

Paved and sealed surfaces that form part of the transport system, including roads, streets and parking lots, also have negative environmental impacts. Copper, zinc and sediment run-off pollutes waterways.

Impermeable surfaces prevent rainwater from recharging groundwater reserves, add to local flooding, and increase the amount of water that needs to be treated as stormwater.