Speed restrictions deemed success

Temporary speed restriction zones in the Eastern Bay of Plenty over the holiday period are being deemed a success by police and the Whakatane District Council.

A temporary speed restriction of 70km/h on Wainui Road and Thornton Road was introduced last year to slow traffic there.

Police say the area has difficult corners which have contributed to high accident rates in previous years.

Sergeant Ray Wylie says in both cases the situation has been aggravated during the holiday period by increased numbers of vehicles turning onto or off the roads to visit commercial operations.

He says installing the temporary signage was a successful exercise, helping to reduce the risks of accidents and therefore the likelihood of road injuries or deaths.

“There were two crashes in the Wainui Road restricted speed zone during the restriction period and none on Thornton Road.

“Traffic speed compliance was good on Thornton Road, but unfortunately police issued 30 infringement notices on Wainui Road.”

Temporary signage in both areas has now been removed.

Police and Whakatane District Council staff will review whether any changes should be made for the next holiday season.

The council’s transportation manager, Martin Taylor, says restricted speed zones were first introduced in 2010/11, but experience indicated the 50km/h limit used then was too low and the length of the zones was too short.

“This year, the Wainui Road zone was extended to the Burma Road intersection and the Thornton Road zone was lengthened to cover all of the tricky s-bends in that area.

“We are keen to get public feedback on this year’s restricted speed zones and in particular, how appropriate motorists feel the 70km/h limit and the length of the zones were.”