Road Safety Partnership Programme

The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) sets out the Government’s priorities for land transport and guides investment from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

The GPS also covers how land transport revenue will be raised, how much funding is available for investment and how the government’s strategic priorities, themes and objectives will be achieved through investment in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP).  

Road to Zero is an activity class within the GPS. Key results for the Road to Zero activity class are:

  • a reduced number of deaths and serious injuries
  • a safer land transport network. 

It is through the Road to Zero activity class that the Road Safety Partnership Programme, which includes road policing, is funded.

Road policing is an essential part of the road safety sector. It contributes to keeping people safe on our roads through prevention, education and enforcement activities.

What is the Road Safety Partnership Programme?

In 2018, the NZ Police, Waka Kotahi and the Ministry of Transport established a Road Safety Partnership to develop and implement a new operating model and investment approach for road policing.

The 2021–24 Road Safety Partnership Programme provides for a three-year investment into road policing activities for the period of the 2021–24 NLTP. It’s based on the strategic outcomes required under Road to Zero. It provides a more detailed operational framework and a series of commitments made by the partners of the programme to achieve these outcomes.

2021–2024 Road Safety Partnership Programme

How does the Road Safety Partnership Programme link to Road to Zero?

In December 2019, the Government published Road to Zero, along with an initial three-year action plan.

Road to Zero outlines New Zealand’s plan to keep people safe on our roads. It includes the vision of no-one being killed or seriously injured on our roads, and sets an interim target of a 40% reduction in death and serious injuries (from 2018 levels) by 2030.

The first Road to Zero Action Plan (2020-2022) contains 15 initial actions, within the strategy’s five focus areas. The initial action plan lasts for three years from 1 January 2020, although delivery of some actions will continue after 2022.

In developing the Road Safety Partnership Programme, we have ensured alignment to Road to Zero, and have designed the programme in such a way that it can continue to align over time as the strategy or action plan is updated or refreshed. 

Why invest in the Road Safety Partnership Programme?

Delivery of the programme is a critical component of achieving New Zealand’s road safety outcomes. It also contributes to economic growth and productivity outcomes. There are clear outputs and measures associated with delivery. In turn, NZ Police can adjust its activities and resources accordingly.

What does the 2021–24 Road Safety Partnership Programme invest in?

The 2021–24 programme focuses road policing activity on the high-risk behaviours of restraints, impairment, distraction and speed (RIDS). It also contributes to other operational priority areas, such as high-risk drivers. A total of 75% of the investment in this programme is targeted to these areas.

NZ Police take an enforcement and prevention approach that targets the behaviours that are likely to create the highest safety risks, alongside highly visible patrols to support and encourage safe driving.

How are local road safety activities co-ordinated?

Road policing activities are delivered in the context of the Safe System, where it is recognised that humans make mistakes but that the transport system is designed so that these mistakes do not need to cost us our lives.

The basis for many local road safety activities is through road safety action planning, co-ordinated and carried out by key partners such as Waka Kotahi, NZ Police, regional and local authorities, ACC and others with an interest in road safety.

Working together at the local level provides focus, commitment and urgency in addressing and mitigating the road safety risks, especially in terms of:

  • safe speeds
  • safe roads and roadsides
  • safe vehicles
  • safe road use.

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