Holiday Road Toll

Easter 2012

Over Easter weekend 2012 there were zero fatal crashes.

The zero toll is provisional for 30 days.

The Ministry will not be able to confirm the number of injuries over the Easter weekend for several months.

Easter 2011

Over Easter weekend 2011 there were 5 fatal crashes and 135 reported injury crashes. These crashes resulted in 5 deaths, 33 serious injuries and 169 minor injuries.

The 5 deaths included:

• 3 drivers
• 2 motorcycle riders

Two of the 5 fatal crashes and 40 percent of the injury crashes reported during the Easter weekend occurred on the open road.

Forty-seven percent of crashes were single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or ran off the road, 26 percent were intersection collisions, 9 percent were rear end crashes or collisions with obstructions (such as parked vehicles), 7 percent were head-on collisions and 6 percent involved collisions with pedestrians.

Drivers losing control or running off the road (39 percent of crashes), travelling too fast for conditions (29 percent), alcohol (24 percent), failing to give way (19 percent), inattention (16 percent) and inexperience (14 percent) were the most common driver factors contributing to crashes.

The tolls for 2003, 2002 and 1998 were the lowest since the first available records for holiday periods in 1956. The previous lowest total was 4 deaths recorded in 1959. The highest recorded number killed is 21 which was recorded in 1971.

Local government statistics

Annual road toll historical information

Useful information

• Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand - an annual statistical statement on road crashes in New Zealand.
• Crash fact sheets on a range of topics.
• For information on the government’s future direction for transport safety see the Safer Journeys webpage.