Ministry of Transport data shows there were 20 deaths on the region’s roads in 2023, three-quarters of the fatalities happening on roads with a speed limit of 100kmh.
The numbers were up from 2022, when 16 people died in crashes.
Southern district road policing manager inspector Craig Brown said the faster a person drove the more likely they were to receive, or cause others to receive, serious injuries.
"Speed is the single-biggest determinant of if you walk away or are carried away in a crash, demonstrated by the proportion of fatal crashes on 100kmh roads."
In Southland, the number of fatalities was close to being halved from the 2022 statistics.
In 2023, eight people died on Southland roads, an improvement on the 2022 numbers when 13 people died.
Six of those 2023 Southland deaths occurred in areas with a 100kmh speed limit.
Nationally, the 2023 number was down from 2022, going from 335 to 304.
In a study done by the Ministry of Transport, it was found the faster someone was driving, the more the reaction time and stopping distance for the driver were reduced.
The study also found there was more room for misjudging the critical speed for a curve on the road, and the higher chance there was for other road users to misjudge what speed other vehicles were travelling at.
There was also a higher probability of rear-ending someone if the driver had not accounted for higher speed by increasing the following distance.
Insp Brown said any deaths on our roads were devastating, and were felt by many.
"The faster you drive, the more likely you are to receive or cause others to receive serious injuries.
"Many of the crashes emergency services deal with are preventable, we see too many crashes where motorists have chosen to speed, drink-drive, or let their impatience get the better of them."
The message to motorists was simple: wear your seatbelt, keep your speed within the limits and focus on the road in front of you, not your cellphone.
"If you’re having a big night, don’t make the selfish decision to get behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking — focus on getting home in one piece."
