What a 70kmh speed limit would mean for journey times in NZ
.
A major international report on road safety has recommended reducing speed limits on the open road to 70kmh.
The report looked at the impact of reduced average speeds on road crash and fatality rates in 10 countries and estimates that .
a 10 per cent decrease in mean [average] speed leads to 20 per cent decrease in injury crashes and a 40 per cent decrease in fatal crashes..
It went on to recommend a speed limit of 70kmh on rural roads without a median barrier.
The majority of New Zealands roading network falls into this category.
If a 70kmh speed limit were introduced here it would help to curb our rising road toll, but the trade-off would be much slower journey times.
There will always be sections where drivers must drive below 70kmh such as built-up areas and hilly or windy sections of road.
So, with that in mind, we estimated the impact of an average speed of 65kmh on rural open roads on several journeys between main centres in New Zealand.
Its probable that a 70kmh limit would result in average speeds of less than 65kmh, so the estimated times below can be considered best case scenarios.
AUCKLAND-WELLINGTON.
According to AAs travel time calculator this journey is 643km and should take a touch under eight hours.
Thats an average speed of 80kmh.
Most of it is on open roads without median barriers.
The exceptions are the 50km between Wellington and the Kāpiti Coast and the 150kmh between Cambridge and Auckland which are mostly motorways with median barriers.
Discounting those would still leave some 447km of road subject to an average speed of (at best) 65kmh.
Currently the AA estimates the average speed at 81kmh on this section, reducing that to 65kmh would add one and a half hours, making the journey nine and a half hours.
CHRISTCHURCH-DUNEDIN.
The drive between the biggest mainland cities is 362km and AA estimates it at 4 hours and 46 minutes - an average of 76kmh.
At an average speed of 65kmh this journey would take five and a half hours - 45 minutes longer than that estimate.
CHRISTCHURCH-PICTON.
AA estimates the 338km journey along the recently re-opened SH1 at 4 hours and 47 minutes, an average of 71kmh.
At an average of 65kmh this journey would take 5 hours and 12 minutes - an extra 25 minutes.
HAMILTON-NAPIER.
The 290km drive between Hamilton and Napier takes a touch over three and half hours.
Thats an average speed of 80.5kmh.
Reducing that to 65kmh adds about an hour to the journey, making it four and a half hours.
NEW PLYMOUTH-WELLINGTON.
This journey currently takes an estimated 4 hours and 37 minutes.
Again we can forget about the 50km between Wellington and Kāpiti as it mostly has median barriers, so would not be impacted.
The remaining 303km takes four hours to drive at an average speed of 75kmh.
Applying a 65kmh average speed to this adds 43 minutes, bringing the total time to five hours and 20 minutes.
CHRISTCHURCH-QUEENSTOWN.
This 485km journey currently takes six hours.
The average speed is a healthy 80kmh.
At an average of 65kmh it would be more like seven and a half hours - adding an extra hour and a half.
AUCKLAND-WHANGAREI.
The drive to New Zealands northern most city currently takes a touch over two hours from central Auckland.
The first 45km out of Auckland is motorway, but the remaining 121km would be subject to the 65kmh average speed, adding an extra 10 minutes to AAs estimated time.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét