A proposal to change speed limits on roads is being considered by the New Zealand Transport Agency for the Bay of Plenty region, but a spokesperson says it too early to say if any changes will be adopted.

NZTA has recently unveiled a new classification system could see open-road speed limits vary by up to 50km/h, which could see speeds of up to 110km/h on a 'small number of well-engineered highways and motorways” around New Zealand.

A new classification system could see the open-road speed limit increased from 100km/h to 110km/h on some stretches of highway around New Zealand.

The move is part of a National Safer Speeds Programme – being developed in the Government's Safer Journeys 2013-15 Action Plan – aimed at reducing deaths and serious injuries on the road network while maintaining or improving travel times on high volume routes.

Under the proposal some urban limits would remain at 50km/h, except on some arterial roads with separate cycle paths on which motor traffic could be allowed to travel at 60km/h to 80km/h.

NZTA's Waikato/Bay of Plenty regional director Harry Wilson says the agency will be working closely with councils and road controlling authorities during the next year to develop a Safer Speeds programme for the country.

'What we ultimately want is for vehicles to be travelling at safe speeds on all of our roads,” says Harry.

'What is a safe speed on one road will be different for what is a safe speed on another.

'There are several tools in the toolbox for making travel speeds safer. Speed limits are a useful tool, but they are not the only one.” Harry says an important point is for the majority of roads no change to the speed limits will be needed – it's for those roads at the margins where the current limits may be too low or too high that changes could be made, either to engineer the roads up to a higher standard, or to bring operating speeds down to a better match for the standard of road or roadside.

This can be done through changing speed limits as well as through changes to road design or other measures, says Harry.

'It is too early to say what, if any, speed limits would change in the Bay of Plenty as a result of this work.

Setting limits higher than 100km/h would require Government to approve a change to the law [the Land Transport Setting Speed Limits Rule].”

'The rule already allows for limits of 100km/h, 80km/h, 60km/h etc… and road controlling authorities already have the ability to set these limits, so no rule-change is required to lower existing limits.

'Of course motorists, residents and other interested parties are consulted before any speed limit is changed.”

The Safer Speeds programme will incorporate a speed management guide and a framework of suggested appropriate travel speeds for various road types. The programme is still in the planning stages and could be at least a year away from being implemented.

Western Bay of Plenty acting road policing manager Senior Sergeant Mike Owen is confident changes made will have road safety at the forefront and as a paramount reason.

'I'm sure the consultation phase will involve police along with a number of other partner agencies as per normal.”