The speed limit on 76km of SH5 between Napier and Taupō was lowered to 80kmh early in 2022. Photo: RNZ / Screenshot
Wairarapa commuters are outraged at proposed speed reduction plans for a major stretch of highway through the region.
Waka Kotahi plans to reduce the 100kmh speed limit to 80kmh on open road sections of State Highway 2, between Masterton and Featherston, from 27 January.
Its plans also showed 21 raised pedestrian crossings to be added along the same stretch of highway in 50kmh zones, and speed limits outside schools would drop to between 30 and 50kmh at the start and end of the school day.
The moves prompted heated discussion online, with many drivers questioning the rationale behind the measures, and some labelling the raised pedestrian crossings 'speed bumps'.
Waka Kotahi data showed there were 488 crashes on this stretch of State Highway 2 between 2010 and 2019, with four people killed and 28 seriously injured.
Waka Kotahi regional spokesperson Emma Speight said even when speed did not cause a crash, it was always a factor in the severity of injury.
Last year, Waka Kotahi opened its Interim Speed Management Plan to public consultation. The plan would reduce some 100kmh zones, such as the winding Remutaka Hill Road between Wellington and Wairarapa, to as low as 60kmh.