Speed limits outside Tauranga schools will drop to 30km/h during drop-off and pick-up times from next year.

The Government brought in a new speed limit rule in September that will require streets outside a school to have a 30km/h variable speed limit by July 1, 2026.

Before the introduction of the new rule, Tauranga City Council decided in June to reduce speed limits outside school gates to 40km/h after a review of the safety risks outside schools and strong community support for lower speed limits.

The council has approved the new 30km/h variable speed limit outside the 35 schools previously approved for 40km/h zones and its implementation outside eight new schools.

It also extended the 30km/h variable speed zones to Queen Rd in Ōtūmoetai, and Golf Rd to Ranch Rd and Links Ave in Mount Maunganui.

Mayor Mahe Drysdale said this week evidence shows that a lot of crashes involving young people in Tauranga happen before and after school.

“We know that children aged 5 to 14 years old generally find it difficult to judge the speed and gaps in traffic and may take more risks. Reducing speed limits before and after school to help keep them safe makes complete sense, while allowing normal speeds at lower risk times.”

Of more than 1000 people surveyed this year, more than 71 per cent were in favour of reduced speed limits outside schools.

More than 52 per cent were in favour of making the temporary 30km/h limit in the city centre permanent.

Over the past few months, the council has been upgrading signs outside schools to support the rollout of the new variable speed zones.

The new signs will stay covered until the new speed limit goes live, expected to be early next year.

Other recommendations approved include relocating the urban/rural boundary on Welcome Bay Rd, moving the 50km/h and 80km/h speed limit change 230 metres east, and consultation with Truman Lane residents and businesses on implementing a permanent speed limit of 50km/h between Mangatawa Link Rd and SH29.

A temporary 50km/h limit has been in effect for several years to reduce risks associated with the high volume of traffic bypassing the Baylink overpass project.

The numbers

Crash analysis data from the Ministry of Transport shows from 2019 to early 2024 around 43 Tauranga schools:

- 85 crashes have involved 5- to 19-year-olds. Of these 73 (86%) involved injury.

- 74 (87%) of the crashes happened on weekdays between 7am and 9am and from 2pm to 6pm.

- 63 crashes (74%) involved children aged 5 to 14 years old.

-The social cost of the crashes is estimated at $57 million.