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Six years after the speed limit was lowered from 80km/h to 100km/h, crash statistics on the notorious stretch of highway in the Dome Valley continue to fall.
According to NZ Transport Agency figures, there have been 122 crashes in the Dome since the speed limit changed in 2009. This is compared to 181 in the previous six years.
There have been two fatalities since 2009 (both in 2010), compared to 11 in the previous six years.
Prior to the speed limit change, the road was tagged the 10th worst road in the country.
However, NZTA highway manager for Auckland and Northland Brett Gliddon says the reduction in crashes isn’t just the result of the speed change.
“The Dome Valley has been monitored for many years and a variety of projects have made a significant difference to reduce both the number and severity of crashes,” he says.
“The level and quality of the pavement management and its effect on loss-of-control type crashes in the wet was identified as an area of concern. Road chip which offers better skid resistance has been installed on this section of the highway and it has resulted in a remarkable turnaround in the number of crashes.”
The Government’s Safer Journeys strategy focuses on addressing fatal and serious injuries, and looks at high-risk corridors such as SH1 Dome Valley. The Transport Agency believes there is still work to do in reducing the number of loss-of-control crashes in the Dome.
Susan Speedy, who runs the business Frog Pool Farm in the Dome, believes the road is definitely safer than it was.
“We just don’t hear the sirens like we used to,” she says. “But in saying that, we still try to avoid driving in the Dome when it’s wet because we’ve seen the statistics and it still feels unsafe.”
The Dome remains over-represented in some areas including:
Bend lost control/head on – 73% (national average 25%)
Too fast for conditions – 39% (national average 13%)
Wet – (64% (national average 28%)
