The Government are including an extra 2,430 kilometres of roads in the $1.4 billion safety programme, in an effort to save lives on New Zealand roads.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said as part of the safety prgoramme that was launched last December, new barriers installed on State Highway 3 near Hamilton had already been hit 40 times, "potentially preventing at least that many deaths and serious injuries".
Initially, the programme had 870km of state highways included, with the additional roads it brings it up to 3,300km of roading over the next three years.
Mr Twyford estimated the road improvements could prevent 160 deaths and serious injuries per year.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said "too many New Zealanders had lost their lives or been seriously injured in crashes that could have been prevented by road safety upgrade".
Ms Genter said their approach was to invest more in safety improvements, increase safe driving messages and investigate lowering speed limits in the most dangerous roads in New Zealand.
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