Monthly overview of crash statistics May 2009
Last updated on
18/06/2009 12:22 p.m.
Download the monthly overview report of crash statistics for May 2009 (PDF v7.0, 150kb)
May Road Deaths (2009)
The data presented here are provisional. Crash data as at – 9th June 2009.
• Thirty-seven people died on New Zealand roads in May. This is five more than the number of deaths for May 2008 and is two more than the average May toll for the last five years.
• To the end of May this year 188 people have died on New Zealand roads. This is 20 more than at the same time last year.
• In the 12 months to the end of May 2009, 386 people were killed on our roads. This is 40 fewer than the number of deaths in the 12 months to the end of May 2008.
• During May, 18 of the deaths were car or van drivers, 10 were car or van passengers, four were pedestrians, three were motorcyclists, one was a cyclist and one was a truck driver.
• Twenty-nine of the 37 killed were in open road crashes. Eleven were in single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control of the vehicle or ran off the road, nine were in overtaking collisions and seven were in head-on crashes.
• Of the 29 vehicle occupants killed, six were not restrained at the time of the crash.
Deaths and Police reported injuries by age, sex and type of road user
Deaths are for the 12 months to the end of May 2009. Reported injuries are for the 12 months to the end of November 2008.
Note: Preliminary fatal crash reports are submitted within 24 hours of a crash related death. Full injury crash reports are submitted only after the crash investigations are completed, so there is a lag in the reporting of injury crashes.
Road user type by sex
| |
|
Male |
Female |
Total |
% male |
| Drivers |
Killed |
122
|
60
|
182
|
67
|
| |
Injured |
4796
|
3707
|
8503
|
56
|
| Passengers |
Killed |
60
|
42
|
102
|
59
|
| |
Injured |
1561
|
1851
|
3412
|
46
|
| Motorcyclists |
Killed |
52
|
5
|
57
|
91
|
| |
Injured |
1127
|
256
|
1383
|
81
|
| Pedestrians |
Killed |
25
|
7
|
32
|
78
|
| |
Injured |
505
|
436
|
941
|
54
|
| Cyclists |
Killed |
7
|
4
|
11
|
64
|
| |
Injured |
652
|
249
|
901
|
72
|
| Other |
Killed |
1
|
1
|
2
|
50
|
| |
Injured |
29
|
16
|
45
|
64
|
| Total |
Killed |
267
|
119
|
386
|
69
|
| |
Injured |
8670
|
6515
|
15185
|
57
|
Road user type by age group
| Killed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Age group |
Drivers |
Passengers |
Motorcyclists |
Pedestrians |
Cyclists |
Other |
Total |
| Under 15 |
0
|
9
|
1
|
5
|
1
|
0
|
16
|
| 15-24 |
19
|
28
|
4
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
58
|
| 25-34 |
50
|
32
|
12
|
7
|
2
|
0
|
103
|
| 35-44 |
25
|
10
|
15
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
56
|
| 45-54 |
23
|
2
|
15
|
2
|
1
|
0
|
43
|
| 55-64 |
22
|
3
|
6
|
3
|
1
|
0
|
35
|
| 65-74 |
22
|
10
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
38
|
| 75+ |
15
|
6
|
1
|
3
|
0
|
1
|
26
|
| Unknown |
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
11
|
| Total |
176
|
100
|
58
|
31
|
20
|
1
|
386
|
| Injured |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Age group |
Drivers |
Passengers |
Motorcyclists |
Pedestrians |
Cyclists |
Other |
Total |
| Under 15 |
3
|
334
|
3
|
107
|
116
|
5
|
568
|
| 15-24 |
1464
|
1151
|
224
|
223
|
215
|
9
|
3286
|
| 25-34 |
2166
|
761
|
357
|
139
|
137
|
4
|
3564
|
| 35-44 |
1404
|
253
|
262
|
82
|
142
|
3
|
2146
|
| 45-54 |
1315
|
202
|
283
|
97
|
173
|
0
|
2070
|
| 55-64 |
974
|
164
|
167
|
66
|
102
|
1
|
1474
|
| 65-74 |
528
|
107
|
48
|
57
|
40
|
3
|
783
|
| 75+ |
469
|
119
|
13
|
66
|
16
|
10
|
693
|
| Other |
41
|
3
|
102
|
293
|
136
|
26
|
601
|
| Total |
8364
|
3094
|
1459
|
1130
|
1077
|
61
|
15185
|
Trends
Since 1990 the number of vehicles on the road has increased by 49 percent while Police reported injuries have dropped by 9 percent, road deaths have dropped by 49 percent and the number of days spent in hospital as a result of road crashes has dropped by 49 percent.
Crash outcomes and road user behaviour
| Road crash data |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Deaths |
| No of road deaths |
462
|
455
|
405
|
461
|
435
|
405
|
393
|
421
|
366
|
386
|
| Deaths per 10,000 vehicles |
1.8
|
1.7
|
1.5
|
1.6
|
1.5
|
1.3
|
1.3
|
1.3
|
1.1
|
1.2
|
| Deaths per 100,000 people |
12.1
|
11.8
|
10.3
|
11.5
|
10.7
|
9.9
|
9.5
|
10.0
|
8.6
|
9.0
|
| Injuries |
| Reported injuries |
10962
|
12368
|
13918
|
14372
|
13890
|
14456
|
15174
|
16013
|
15185
|
-
|
| No hospitalised (all discharges) |
5990
|
6700
|
6530
|
6540
|
6580
|
7210
|
7680
|
7440
|
7280
|
-
|
| No hospitalilsed for over 1 day* |
2846
|
2880
|
2750
|
2720
|
2710
|
2860
|
3020
|
3060
|
2847
|
-
|
| No hospitalised for over 3 days* |
1815
|
1794
|
1740
|
1700
|
1700
|
1840
|
1900
|
1990
|
1865
|
-
|
| Behavioural measures |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
| Speed |
| Rural speed, % over 100 km/h |
52%
|
47%
|
43%
|
39%
|
39%
|
36%
|
32%
|
29%
|
30%
|
-
|
| Rural speed, mean (km/ h) |
101.1
|
100.2
|
99.1
|
98
|
97.8
|
97.1
|
96.4
|
96.3
|
96.6
|
-
|
| Rural speed, 85th percentile (km/h) |
111
|
109
|
107
|
105
|
105
|
104
|
103
|
103
|
103
|
-
|
| Alcohol |
| No of drivers killed with excess alcohol |
58
|
55
|
60
|
70
|
69
|
58
|
54
|
65
|
59
|
-
|
| Percent of drivers killed with excess alcohol |
21%
|
21%
|
24%
|
27%
|
27%
|
25%
|
24%
|
27%
|
28%
|
-
|
| Occupant restraints |
| Seat belts worn by adults, front |
90%
|
92%
|
92%
|
92%
|
94%
|
95%
|
95%
|
95%
|
95%
|
-
|
| Seat belts worn by adults, rear |
76%
|
70%
|
78%
|
81%
|
86%
|
86%
|
89%
|
87%
|
87%
|
-
|
| Children restrained, 0-14 years |
87%
|
89%
|
94%
|
96%
|
97%
|
94%
|
96%
|
94%
|
97%
|
-
|
| Child restraints used, 0-4 years |
79%
|
82%
|
86%
|
86%
|
87%
|
89%
|
91%
|
91%
|
90%
|
-
|
| Cycle helmets |
| Cycle helmets worn, week day |
93%
|
94%
|
89%
|
89%
|
92%
|
91%
|
94%
|
92%
|
92%
|
-
|
*Includes only the first stay in hospital
Note: Road deaths for 2009 are for the 12 months to the end of May 2009. Reported injuries for 2008 are for the 12 months to the end of November 2008.
Factors contributing to crashes - ranked by social cost*
Notes: Crash data for the 12 months to the end of November 2008
Since there can be several contributing factors for a single crash the figures represented in this graph add to more than 100%.
*Social cost calculations include loss of life or life quality, loss of output due to injuries, medical and rehabilitation costs, legal and court costs and property damage.