We frequently hear about car accidents and fatalities, and I dare say we all know of people whose lives have been devastatingly impacted by serious or fatal accidents.  Week after week our news bulletins inform us of this grim reality, and even advertising pushes the message home.  One seemingly small ‘bad call’ can be devastating. 

And so, as a government charged with protecting communities, we want to make some ‘big calls’ that will see a reduction in the number of fatal and serious crashes on our roads.   Last week the Government launched Safer Journeys, a ten year strategy that takes a system wide approach by looking at the safety of roads, road users, vehicles and speed. This approach is considered the best safety practice internationally but is long overdue in New Zealand.

Over the next 10 years we desperately want to see ‘a safe road system increasingly free of death and serious injury’ – and this has become the vision for our long term road safety goals. Changes need to be made.  The nature of our roads has changed since the current driving laws were created more than 20 years ago.  Roads while generally better are more congested, and our cheaper cars go faster. 

A significant and widely talked about part of this strategy is the plan to raise the driving age from 15 to 16-years-old.  With younger drivers, it’s often not a matter of driving ability, but having an awareness of surroundings and the maturity to make quick judgement calls.
 
In 2008 young drivers who made up 16 percent of all licensed drivers were involved in 37 percent of all serious crashes.  Between 2000 and 2008 the number of people killed or seriously injured in a crash where a young driver was at fault increased by 17 percent.  Something needs to be done.

The measures outlined in the Safer Journeys strategy will be put before Cabinet for consideration in March.  Other things that are being considered in this strategy include tightening up the restricted licence test, improving the road safety education available to young people, investigating vehicle power restrictions for young drivers and changing the give way rules for turning traffic.

We do realise the impact raising the driving age will have on rural communities, or, for that matter, any area with limited public transport.  While some may protest raising the driving age, we need to remember that country people can die on country roads too.  While many rural young people perhaps are more skilled or confident drivers, the roads they drive on are generally less safe – being narrow, windy and less well maintained.  Changes may also make some youngsters eager for their independence a little upset.  However, the chance to save lives and make our roads safer is surely worth any potential inconvenience.

National’s Safer Journeys strategy will be working to improve road safety and to make good calls that reduce tragedy on our roads.  But all drivers in New Zealand have a role to play if we are to lift our performance and make our roads safer.  It’s also your call.