Emergency services at the scene a crash on State Highway 2 near Waipukurau, where a 22-year-old woman was killed on August 31 this year (Photo / NZ Herald)

'Our road toll is going in the wrong direction' - Labour

Author: Sam Thompson,
Publish Date: Sat, 1 Oct 2016, 2:47PM

UPDATED 7.40PM The deadly September road toll has prompted the Labour Party to demand an urgent review of the Government's ‘Safer Journeys’ strategy.

The strategy aims to reduce death and serious injury crashes on New Zealand roads.

Labour's transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney said it's clearly not working, with 25 people killed last month - 7 more deaths than in the same month last year.

Ms Moroney said already 244 people have died on New Zealand roads this year.

"Our road toll is going in the wrong direction," she said.

"It has been coming down progressively over decades, and now we look like we're going to have the third year in a row where the road toll will be increasing.

"Five of the 23 fatal crashes involved trucks, and the Government's response to that has been to allow larger and heavier trucks on our roads. I think that's an issue that needs addressing."

Ms Moroney said there are three areas the Government seem to be ignoring.

"We have got more freight moving by truck on our roads, we have got a decrease in the number of police on our roads at the moment, and we've also got issues around road maintenance."