Wellington, Feb 23 (IANS): New Zealand launched the 'Road to Zero' public awareness campaign on Wednesday, which sets a target of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050, and a 40 per cent reduction by 2030.
"There should be zero tolerance for people being killed or seriously injured on our roads," Transport Minister Michael Wood said in a statement.
"We're aiming for significant reductions in a relatively short space of time, and we're targeting all aspects of the transport system to get there," Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.
Road to Zero is not about any single initiative but about how to develop an overall safer system. The measures that are being introduced are internationally proven and have reduced deaths and serious injuries when systematically rolled out, he said.
Police Minister Poto Williams stressed a renewed focus on the vital role of police enforcement to deter impaired driving and other unsafe behaviour.
The government will invest NZ$2.9 billion ($1 billion) in Road to Zero activities over the next three years.