Waka Kotahi’s Road to Zero campaign is targeting a 40 percent reduction in road deaths and serious injuries by 2030, with the ultimate vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads. The campaign encourages us all to play our part in getting to zero.
Despite the relatively small proportion of the road network that is supported by bridges, they represent a significant hazard in the roadway. Studies undertaken by WSP on behalf of Waka Kotahi indicate that around 1 in 10 deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand’s State Highways occur on a bridge or immediate approach to a bridge.
Vehicle crashes have been identified as the most critical bridge risk in New Zealand, contributing to more bridge-related deaths per annum than floods, earthquakes, vehicle overload and deterioration combined.
‘Bridge to Zero’ aims to ensure Bridge Engineers and Asset Managers are playing their part in the Road to Zero, improving the safety of bridges to ensure that mistakes do not result in serious injuries or loss of life.
While there has been a significant focus on improving the safety of new bridges and upgrading highway safety systems, older bridges with substandard barrier systems and narrow widths have been progressively becoming more out of context with their surrounding highway environment. It is important that these critical hazards are progressively upgraded on a prioritised basis to ensure a safer overall road network is achieved.
We have a vision that white crosses will no longer adorn New Zealand’s bridges in the future, with bridges supporting crossings, not crosses.
To support this process, a nationwide bridge barrier risk screening tool was developed to help prioritise interventions and improvements where the highest risk of deaths and serious injuries currently exist. Key risk factors at bridges include traffic volumes, narrowness between barriers or kerbs, barrier standard and performance, horizontal curvature, visibility, speed environment, fall height, signage and road environment.
Various bridge improvement solutions have been developed to support a wide range of historic bridge types.
While Road Safety week finishes on the 15 May 2022, we encourage you all to continue playing your part in the Road to Zero in whatever way you can.
Road to Zero – NZ’s road safety strategy - All updates | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (nzta.govt.nz)
