The provisional number of lives lost on New Zealand roads in 2017 is 380, the highest since 2009 says Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter.

“It is simply shocking to see so many people die on our roads,” Genter says. “We know every one of these deaths has left a huge hole in the lives of family and friends.”

Genter says the number of people dying on our roads has continued to increase over the past four years, and making roads safer will be a major priority for the government in 2018.

“It will be obvious to many people driving this summer that the level of safety on many rural roads and even urban streets simply isn‘t good enough. People make mistakes, but on too many of our roads a momentary distraction or taking a corner too fast can be fatal.”

Genter says the government will invest to make roads safer, so that when people make mistakes lives aren‘t lost.

“As a priority the government has boosted road safety funding by $22.5 million to fix high-risk stretches of rural road around the country. This is just the beginning. In 2018 the government will look at how it can increase and prioritise funding for road safety improvements across the country.”

Genter also plans to hold a road safety summit early this year so she can hear directly from councils about opportunities for improving road safety.

“Our roads are going to remain busy over the next few weeks so give yourself plenty of time to get where you‘re going, share the driving, and stay fresh behind the wheel,” says Genter.