Latest news with #road safety
RNZ News
14 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
'Dumb decision' to increase Nelson highway speed limit reversed
Nelson's Clifton Terrace School students protested over the speed limit changes in February. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee A section of highway north of Nelson will remain at 60km/h after a strong community campaign against the government rollback of speed limit reductions. The 1.8-kilometre stretch of State Highway 6, north of Nelson, was set to increase to 80km/h from July, until Waka Kotahi / New Zealand Transport Agency agreed to publicly consult on the proposed change. The stretch of road through Marybank at Atawhai passes Clifton Terrace School and many residential properties. The community launched a strong campaign in opposition to the government's speed limit reversal plan , writing to the transport minister with their concerns. Waka Kotahi said it received strong feedback that people did not want the stretch of road to revert to higher speed limits. Of 1787 submissions, 76 percent wanted the speed limit to remain at 60km/h. Respondents showed a desire to keep children safe on the road, especially those travelling by foot or bike to Clifton Terrace School. Parents for Active Transport's Emily Osborne said it was a relief to learn the speed limit would remain at 60km/h. The group was formed in the hope of achieving safety improvements on the cycleway alongside the state highway so parents felt more comfortable with their kids riding to Clifton Terrace School, but Osborne said they had spent the last six months campaigning to ensure the speed on the highway remained the same. "It just reaffirms that this is a battle that we shouldn't really have had to fight because it was just a dumb decision [the government] made." She said claims the previous government was slowing the country down were not true, when the speed limit was previously reduced from 80km/h on that section of SH6 because it was unsafe. Waka Kotahi said its safety and technical data aligned with submissions said children were safer when travelling by foot or bike to and from school, and residents also reporting it was safer to cross the state highway with the traffic at 60km/h. "There are not many people around who think that going faster through that stretch is a good idea," Osborne said. She said the decision was "a little bit bittersweet" as it came on the back of speed limit increases on SH6 between Nelson and Blenheim, which reverted to their former limits on Monday. She anticipated that there would be more serious crashes and deaths on that section of highway, as was the case before the speeds were reduced in 2020. "We drive over it all the time as do all our family and friends and stuff and it's just not safe." Another "urban connector" section of road on SH6, north of Wakefield, was due to have its speed increased but was consulted on, with the decision also made for it to stay at 60km/h. Of 633 submissions, 49 percent wanted the speed limit to remain at 60km/h. Labour MP Rachel Boyack. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR Nelson's Labour MP Rachel Boyack said there had been a huge pushback from the community when the government announced the speed increases and she was delighted that their views had been taken into account. She said the blanket decision to reverse all of the speed limit changes had been made without looking at the evidence. "People have been advocating for lower speed limits in some of these areas for years and years off the back of fatal crashes, lots of incidents where children have been unsafe getting to school." She said the decision to retain the lower speed limit was a result of the hard work done by many to ensure Waka Kotahi heard the views of the community. "This didn't have to happen. If the government's rule had been written in a more flexible way at the very beginning, we wouldn't have had to go through this long-winded and expensive consultation process." Boyack said there was another section of SH6, further north at Hira, where the road ran past a school and the speed had been increased, despite strong community feedback against it. "The indication is that future speed management reviews could be made there, but it's just such a waste of time and money to be going back and forth between different speed limits. We need a robust system that looks at both the evidence and the views of the local community." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BreakingNews.ie
3 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Teen (19) was driving with eight people on car during Donegal rally weekend, court hears
A young man who had eight people on the roof and bonnet of his car while he was driving in Co Donegal has been ordered to make a €750 donation to charity. Brian Mordaunt appeared at Letterkenny District Court charged with dangerous driving during the weekend of the Donegal International Rally on June 21st, 2024. Advertisement Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that a number of videos emerged on Snapchat of the bizarre incident. Gardaí became aware of the incident and stopped Mordaunt in his car at a later stage. The 19-year-old, who has no previous convictions, made full admissions and was apologetic to gardaí, the court was told. Pictures of the car with the eight people hanging out of it were handed into court. Advertisement Solicitor for the accused, Mr Patsy Gallagher, said his client's family are 'distraught' after the incident. Mordaunt, who is from Clerihan, Clonmel in Co Tipperary, is an apprentice electrician. He was in Co Donegal for the Donegal International Rally when the incident occurred at Pearse Road on June 21st last year. Mr Gallagher said he had viewed the videos and said it was difficult to know if Mordaunt's car was actually moving or not and it certainly was not driving at any speed. Advertisement He suggested the case was at the lower end of the dangerous driving levels and that his client does realise that what he did was stupid and that he had had full and frank conversations with his family about the matter. The solicitor added that the accused man's family are distraught at what has happened and said it was inexcusable. Ireland New legislation means all adults in Ireland will b... Read More "It is certainly not a situation where the family are taking this lightly," added Mr Gallagher. Replying, Sergeant Collins said the evidence was that the car was certainly moving but not at any great speed. Judge Ciaran Liddy said he would adjourn the case until September 15th to allow Mordaunt to make a donation of €750 to Cara House and pay a fine of €250. If that is done, he said he will consider reducing the charge to one of careless driving and will also consider not disqualifying the accused.
Malay Mail
4 days ago
- Malay Mail
JPJ suspends bus driver's PSV licence, investigates operator after Gerik highway crash that killed 15 UPSI students
PUTRAJAYA, June 17 — The public service vehicle (PSV) licence of the bus driver involved in the accident involving students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has been suspended with immediate effect, according to the Road Transport Department (JPJ). JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the action was taken in accordance with the provisions of Section 56(4) of the Road Transport Act 1987 [Act 333] following an ongoing investigation. 'JPJ has also opened an investigation paper against the owner of the company operating the vehicle involved, including the company that received the leased permit to operate the bus,' he said in a statement here yesterday. He said the suspension of the licence will remain in effect until the investigation is completed as a proactive measure to protect public interest and ensure the safety of road users. He also said the JPJ emphasised its commitment not to compromise on any violations of the law that could endanger the lives of road users. Mohd Amirul Fadhil, 39, is seen in handcuffs at the Magistrate's Court in Gerik, Perak on June 13, 2025 where he was charged with 15 counts of dangerous driving and a separate charge of reckless driving that killed 15 UPSI students on board the chartered bus he drove on June 9, 2025. — Bernama pic The accident that occurred on the East-West Highway (JRTB), Gerik in Perak on June 9 at around 1.10 am claimed the lives of 15 UPSI students. In the incident, the 15 students were among those on a chartered bus, travelling from Jertih to their main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, which was involved in a collision with a Perodua Alza multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). The crash also resulted in 33 others being injured, including the bus driver and conductor, as well as the driver and three passengers of the Perodua Alza. — Bernama
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
‘Staggering and concerning,' OPP lays 21 impaired-related charges over 72 hours
Provincial police officers laid 21 impaired driving-related charges in Orillia over the weekend, a number the authorities are calling both 'staggering and concerning.' Police say that in just 72 hours, officers charged seven individuals, including three from Barrie, following traffic stops. Police charged three of the accused with having a blood alcohol concentration exceeding 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Two others were charged with failing or refusing to comply with demand. Police remind motorists that failing or refusing to comply with a lawful demand from officers to provide a breath sample or sobriety test is a criminal offence in Ontario. "All drivers charged with impaired driving will have their drivers licence suspended for 90 days, and vehicle impounded for seven days," OPP stated in a Monday release. 'OPP urges everyone to plan ahead and arrange for a safe ride home. Call a friend or call a cab. Remember that any amount of alcohol or drugs can impact your ability to make sound judgements.'
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Malay Mail
College student, 20, dies after motorcycle crashes into guardrail along North-South Expressway near Kluang
KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — A student from the Melaka International College of Science and Technology (MiCoST) was killed after his motorcycle crashed at Kilometre 69.2 of the North-South Expressway (northbound) near Kluang, Johor, on Saturday. Mohamad Danish Subaha, 20, a third-semester Diploma in Interactive Media student, was pronounced dead at the scene due to severe injuries, according to a report published in Buletin TV3. Kluang District Police Chief Assistant Commissioner Bahrin Mohd Noh said the police received a report from a member of the public at 3.20pm regarding a fatal motorcycle accident. 'Initial investigations found that the incident occurred while the victim was riding a Yamaha Y16ZR motorcycle from Simpang Renggam towards Melaka. 'Upon arriving at the location, the motorcycle is believed to have gone out of control and crashed into the highway guardrail. The victim was thrown onto the road and died at the scene from serious head injuries,' he said in a statement. He added that the body was sent to Hospital Enche' Besar Hajjah Khalsom for a post-mortem before being handed over to the family for further arrangements. 'The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987,' he said.
