Speech to Walk to Work Event
Good morning. It's a great cause we are promoting today.
Walk to Work started as a Wellington event three years ago but is now nationwide, with events happening around the country today.
I'm lucky in that most days I can walk to Parliament. It can be hard to get enough exercise when you're a politician, but walking is something that's a lot easier in Wellington than in other places.
Walking has a lot going for it.
It's good for you, and has proven health benefits.
It's good for the planet because it means less traffic and pollution.
And it's good for your wallet, because it's free.
Walking and pedestrian safety is an issue for the Government, and for the Ministry of Transport.
Last week we released Safer Journeys, which is a plan for improving road safety over the next 10 years. It had some worrying figures when it comes to walking.
From 2004 to 2008, an average of 678 pedestrians were hospitalised and 38 were killed, every year.
Just yesterday a 16 year old boy was hit by a bus and seriously injured right outside my office.
Pedestrians make up about 10% of all road deaths, but in cities like Wellington the figure is more like 30%.
Safer Journeys strategy has a number of options to help reduce this toll.
One is changing the give-way rules for traffic, so that cars turning right give way to give way to all traffic, including cars turning onto the same road.
The number of intersection crashes involving pedestrians has increased by 88% since 2000, and many of them were hit by a car turning. This rule change could make things simpler and easier to understand.
We need to reduce speed in urban areas. We know that speeding is dangerous and a major contributor to accidents and deaths, for other road users and pedestrians.
We are looking at increasing speed cameras and red light cameras, bringing in higher demerit points for speeding, and increasing public awareness.
We are also considering lower speed limits around schools at certain times of day. The evidence so far shows this does work.
Local government has am important role to play. As parents we have to teach our kids about being safe around the roads.
In closing can I thank Living Streets Aotearoa and the organisers of today's events here in Wellington and around the country for the huge effort you have put in.
Thank you for the work you are doing raising awareness of walking, and thank you for inviting me.