New Zealand Transport Agency is set to roll out a new safety initiative, which is aimed at reducing the crash rate on a stretch of State Highway 30 (SH30) between Rotorua and Whakatane in Bay of Plenty.

Following resealling work, the agency will paint wide centre line markings on sections of SH30 west of Te Teko for motorists.

The new wide centre lines will incorporate two painted lines that are about 0.8m apart to provide separation between each lane of the road.

"Since 2009, there has been 15 crashes on this stretch of SH30. Of these, five crashes involved vehicles that had crossed the centre line."

The markings will be painted similar to a regular centre line as a series of dashed white lines on highway sections, where overtaking is allowed, and as solid yellow lines in areas where there is no overtaking.

The transport agency’s Bay of Plenty highway manager Niclas Johansson said that the new wide centre line reduces the risk of crashes and increases safety on the stretch of road.

"Since 2009, there has been 15 crashes on this stretch of SH30. Of these, five crashes involved vehicles that had crossed the centre line," Johansson said.

"The extra space in the middle of the road created by the wide centre lines gives motorists more time to react and recover if they make a mistake."

The agency is said to have successfully trialled the markings at 15 sites around New Zealand as part of the government’s ‘Safer Journeys’ road safety strategy.

The strategy is aimed at minimising death rates and injuries.

According to Johansson, the data revealed by the agency study found that the installation of wide centre line reduces injury head-on crashes by 66% and all crashes by 21%.

The latest initiative is expected to help improve safety in the future.