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Highly motorised countries had an average 9% reduction in fatalities despite population increases averaging 17% over the decade between 1986 and 1996 OECD countries averaged 2.3% reduction per year between 1990 and 2000 and 4.4% in 2001. The charts show New Zealand is consistent with these worldwide trends8. The police slogan “The Road Toll Must Come Down” is fatuous. The road toll is coming down anyway, and excessive and misdirected policing has no impact on it. See charts from: OECD International Road Traffic and Accident Database The following comparative chart is from Monash University
In December 2000 the New Zealand Government rolled out a major expansion of traffic enforcement resources adopting a high visibility/heavy patrolling/rigid enforcement of speed limit policy. These charts show the results which are consistent with the worldwide evidence that reduced speed limits are associated with increased crash rates and insignificant reduction in fatalities:
So there is no evidence that this huge cost and imposition on the peaceful lives of ordinary New Zealanders has produced any benefit whatsoever. Rather it has most likely caused both direct harm through increased crash rates and indirect harm by misdirecting resources of both police and taxpaying vehicle owners to counterproductive activities. 8NZ Population growth from June 1993 – June 2003 was 11.2% (Statistics New Zealand). The reduction in fatalities in 100 kph zones over the same decade averaged 3.3% per year.
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