The Government has announced a $20 million boost for rural state highways.
The money will be spent on "simple safety upgrades that can be installed quickly over the summer period, such as rumble strips, roadside safety barriers in high-risk locations, shoulder widening, and improved signage".
Roads that'll get the upgrades include State Highway 2 from Wairoa to Gisborne, SH35 from Gisborne to Tologa Bay, SH2 from Gisborne to Matawai and SH5/2 near Te Haroto.
There will also be improvements on highways in Manawatu-Whanganui and on the West Coast.
Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter says the roads "might not have high levels of traffic but still have plenty of risks like sharp corners and narrow stretches".
"All drivers make mistakes from time to time. Safety improvements like these stop simple mistakes turning into tragedies," she says.
"Rumble strips can reduce fatal run-off-road crashes by up to 42 percent. Shoulder widening at high-risk sites can reduce serious crashes by up to 35 percent."
Last year's road toll of 379 was the highest since 2009.
Newshub.
