Focus area 6: Move to a safe transport network free from death and serious injury

There have been substantial reductions in road-related deaths and serious injury for most of the past 30 years, despite a growing population and an increase in total travel.

However, since 2012, these trends have reversed, with pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists facing the greatest safety risk.

This increase suggests previous initiatives are no longer as effective and a new approach to safety, with solutions that make a real difference, is needed.

While eliminating all deaths and serious injuries may be challenging, the starting point must always be that they are unacceptable. This starting point must influence all transport decisions, including project design, regulations, enforcement and investment choices.

Moving to a truly safe transport network will require a greater emphasis on safety in decision-making.  Compared to the way we have done things in the past, we will:

• allocate a greater part of the transport budget to dedicated safety projects
• change the way we evaluate potential transport investments
• place greater emphasis on safety in the design of new or upgraded infrastructure
• make necessary regulatory changes to promote safety, such as targeted speed limit reductions
• seek to improve travel behaviour by placing greater emphasis on enforcement, and through public awareness campaigns.

Real and perceived safety and security concerns discourage many people (particularly women, seniors and children) from using public transport, walking and cycling, especially after dark. Ensuring these travel options feel safe to all Aucklanders will help encourage their greater use.

How this can be done

Efforts to achieve a safer transport network must:

• increase investment into dedicated safety projects targeted to the highest risk locations (including intersections, high risk routes and road/rail level crossings). Find out more about the Regional Land Transport Plan
• ensure that safety and accessibility for people of all ages or ability is central to the design of transport infrastructure, as described on the Universal Design website
• introduce appropriate speed limits in high-risk locations, particularly residential streets, rural roads and areas with high numbers of pedestrians and cyclists
• upgrade rural roads, especially where urbanisation is likely to result in increased demand
• use Crime Prevention through Environmental Design principles to improve real and perceived safety. Find out more about creating safer places.

Related information

• Transport and Access in Auckland, 2050
• Rapid Transit Network
• Making Auckland more cycle friendly
• Passenger rail transport between Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga
• Equitable transport access across Auckland
• Auckland Plan 2050 – Full Print Document (PDF 36.6 MB )
• Auckland Plan 2050 - Print document - Transport and Access July 2018 (PDF 3.0 MB)