11 Sep 2019

ACC pours $5m into road safety programmes in Auckland

2:49 pm on 11 September 2019

The funding is going towards safety programmes on the city's transport network and reducing road accident trauma.

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Photo: RNZ Insight / Ben Strang

Auckland Transport said deaths and injuries on New Zealand's roads were at the highest levels since 2009.

Nearly 595 people were seriously injured and 58 died on Auckland roads.

That road trauma amounts to about a third of New Zealand's motor accident claims to ACC.

ACC said that was about $165m spent on claims in Auckland alone.

Auckland Transport board chairperson Lester Levy said he was determined to bring that number down to zero.

"Too many people are dying or being seriously injured on our roads," he said.

"Working together with our partner ACC is another step in reducing road trauma. I appreciate their investment in our safety programme and look forward to building on our collaboration with them."

Head of injury prevention Isaac Carlson agreed that more work needed to be done to prevent harm.

"[The] Auckland region [is] one with a significantly growing population, greater demands on the roads and certainly an area where we're seeing increasing deaths and serious injuries on the roads," he said.

Auckland Transport said Māori were disproportionately represented in the city's death and serious injuries on the road.

It said Māori made up 15 percent of all death and serious injuries but only 12 percent of the population in Auckland.

Auckland Transport said $1m of the $5m investment would be used on a Māori road safety programme, Te Ara Haepapa, which was developed in partnership with marae, kura kaupapa and the community.

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