Canterbury’s Transport Agency is introducing a temporary reduced speed limit on State Highway 8 for the rest of winter following a series of crashes.
Last week, 24 people, including two buses, were injured in three crashes on the stretch of road between Twizel and Lake Tekapō, which was blanketed in fog and had a black ice warning.
Waka Kotahi/NZTA had previously considered temporary lower speed limits for the road. The temporary limit will be reviewed at the end of August. A fourth-morning gritter crew has also been added to the road for the foreseeable future.
Waka Kotahi’s South Island manager, Mark Pinner, said the temporary limit would be reviewed at the end of August. The agency is boosting measures to ensure more controls are in place and balancing keeping the road open when possible.
Twizel Fire Brigade deputy chief officer Ian Gardner said a safe speech for the road when it was icy and foggy was 50-60km/h. He said that while driving crews have been doing better this year than previously, more warnings and reduced speed would help.
The bus crashes highlighted the need for compulsory seatbelts in buses.
Click to read more about New Zealand
