Transport researcher Simon Kingham says he is disappointed but not surprised by the government's decision on speed limits. Photo: University of Canterbury
The government's decision to undo Labour's blanket speed-limit reductions will mean more people die on the road, a transport researcher says.
Minister of Transport Simeon Brown yesterday announced he had signed off on a rule to revert to the old, higher speed limits by July next year.
Under the rule change, reduced variable speed limits would operate outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times, and motorists would be able to drive at up to 120km/h on Roads of National Significance.
Canterbury University professor Simon Kingham - a former chief science adviser to the Ministry of Transport - said the government was ignoring overwhelming evidence against higher speeds.
"We will see more people die on the roads; we will see increases in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; we will see it becoming less attractive for children to walk to school; we will see it less attractive for people to talk to their neighbours on the street - there's a whole bunch of metrics for which this is going to lead to really bad outcomes."
Kingham said previously, he had faith the government would take on board evidence showing higher speed limits caused more deaths and injuries.
"The minister hasn't shown any interest in the evidence or the science. He just seems to be blindly following some sort of ideological approach.
"So I'm not surprised, but I'm disappointed."
Kingham said he expected local councils would try to stop the speed limit changes.
"Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch... the bigger cities have made it very clear they don't want this. So I'm sure they will be thinking... not how can we get round this, because they're not going to break the law - but what can we do to stop this happening?"