Speed Management
Several of our communities have called for changes that would lower speed limits on high-risk rural roads and around rural schools. It’s part of our commitment to resolving long-standing community issues.
At a Joint Council meeting of Tasman District Council and Nelson City Council last August, the Nelson Tasman Speed Management Plan was adopted following extensive consultation.
The Government's new Setting of the Speed Limits Rule requires us to now include a Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement for each road, so we need to reconsult using this tool.
The proposed speeds are largely in line with a suite of reductions that we adopted last year before they were invalidated by the Government’s new rules for setting speed limits.
Our consultation document has been greatly informed by feedback from 2024 where we received input from more than 2,200 people.
What are we consulting on now?
We are consulting on proposed speed reductions on our high-risk roads, base speed limit reductions on rural roads adjacent to schools, and McShane Road now.
This current consultation focuses on three types of roads we propose to change the speed limit for:
- Reduction from 100km/h to 80km/h on the following high-risk roads: Moutere Highway/Main Road Lower Moutere, Motueka Valley Highway (from Dovedale Road to existing 80km/h at Alexander Bluff Road), Edwards Road, Neudorf Road, and Dovedale Road (from Motueka Valley Highway to Neudorf Road).
- Base speed limit reduction adjacent to the following schools: Lower Moutere, Upper Moutere, Ngātīmoti, Collingwood, Tasman, Tasman Bay Christian, Central Tākaka, Wakefield and Hope.
- McShane Road (entire length) change from 80 to 50km/h• 50km/h section of Lower Queen Street extended to west of McShane Road• 60km/h section of Lower Queen Street extended to include the NPI industrial area and recent industrial/commercial developments.
What are we not consulting on?
Consultation is not required for new variable 30km/h limits outside schools, which are required by the Setting of Speed Limits Rule.
Any changes to State Highway speeds will be undertaken by NZTA Waka Kotahi.
What will we be consulting on later in the year?
Later in 2025, we will consult on our other proposed speed limit changes including changes for
- rural residential roads,
- urban roads with no footpaths,
- winding and narrow unsealed roads
- other specific roads such as Abel Tasman Drive between Pōhara and Ligar Bay, Kaiteriteri-Sandy Bay Road, Aniseed Valley Road.
Why safe speeds?
Safe speeds are fundamental to improving safety, saving lives, and preventing debilitating injuries. Higher vehicle speeds increase the probability of a crash in several ways:
- By reducing the ability of a driver/vehicle to stop in time
- By reducing manoeuvrability to evade a problem
- By reducing the driver’s field of vision
- By causing other drivers to misjudge gaps
Safe speeds are about achieving safe vehicle speeds that reflect the road’s function, design, safety, and use. People and goods need to move efficiently around our transport network and we also need to see a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the network. Other benefits gained from the implementation of appropriate vehicle speeds include enabling more active ways in how we get to where we need to go such as letting children walk or bike to school.
What’s the link between speed and safety on our roads?
Irrespective of the cause of a crash, speed is the difference between someone being unharmed or being seriously injured or killed. A small change in speed makes a big difference especially when cyclists or pedestrians are involved.
More people die on our roads per head of population than in similar countries. The current speed limits may be too high in relation to the design and features of the road. Even when people are obeying the legal limit, they may not have enough time to respond when something unexpected happens.
Impact of crashes
Setting safe speed limits to what a human body can survive is important. Setting safe speed limits where people walking and cycling mix with vehicles, like in town centres and around schools is essential to reducing death and serious injury. The social cost of crashes is estimated at $12.5 million per fatality and $660,000 per serious injury. In Nelson Tasman, 73% of fatal and serious crashes in urban areas involved cyclists, pedestrians or motorcyclists between 2013-2022). The social cost of deaths and serious injuries has been $429 million on our local roads over the past ten years. The internationally accepted speed to greatly reduce the chances of a pedestrian being killed or seriously injured is 30km/h.
Changing of Speed Limits
The way speed limits are set has changed. Limits are now set through the process set out in the Setting of Speed Limits rule rather than rather than a bylaw. Tasman District and Nelson City Councils adopted a Speed Management Plan in July 2024 which provides strategic direction to the speed limit changes over the next ten years.
Why safe speeds?
Safe and appropriate speeds are fundamental to improving safety, saving lives, and preventing debilitating injuries. Higher vehicle speeds increase the probability of a crash in several ways:
- By reducing the ability of a driver/vehicle to stop in time
- By reducing manoeuvrability to evade a problem
- By reducing the driver’s field of vision
- By causing other drivers to misjudge gaps
Safe and appropriate speeds are about achieving safe vehicle speeds that reflect the road’s function, design, safety, and use. People and goods need to move efficiently around our transport network and we also need to see a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the network. Other benefits gained from the implementation of appropriate vehicle speeds include enabling more active ways in how we get to where we need to go such as letting children walk or bike to school.ch provides strategic direction to the speed limit changes over the next ten years.
Myths and misconceptions
State Highways
State Highways speed limits are managed by Waka Kotahi. For more information about State Highway speed changes
