Monthly overview of crash statistics October 2009

The data presented here are provisional. Crash data as at – 9th November 2009

• Twenty-two people died on New Zealand roads in October. This is four fewer than the number of deaths for October 2008 and is eight fewer than the average October toll for the last five years. This was the lowest October road toll since 1965. (Monthly records unavailable prior to 1965).

• To the end of October this year 328 people have died on New Zealand roads. This is 38 more than at the same time last year.
• In the 12 months to the end of October 2009, 403 people were killed on our roads. This is 26 more than the number of deaths in the 12 months to the end of October 2008.
• During October, nine of the deaths were car or van drivers, six were car or van passengers, three were motorcyclists, three were pedestrians, and one was a cyclist.
• Fourteen of the 22 killed were in open road crashes. Seven were in head-on crashes and six were in single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control of the vehicle or ran off the road.
• Of the 15 vehicle occupants killed, four 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 October 2009. Reported injuries are for the 12 months to the end of April 2009.

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

Since 1990 the number of vehicles on the road has increased by 49 percent while Police reported injuries have dropped by 11 percent, road deaths have dropped by 47 percent and the number of days spent in hospital as a result of road crashes has dropped by 50 percent.

Crash outcomes and road user behaviour

*Includes only the first stay in hospital

Note: Road deaths for 2009 are for the 12 months to the end of October 2009. Reported injuries for 2009 are for the 12 months to the end of April 2009.

Factors contribution to crashes - ranked by social cost*

Notes:  Crash data for the 12 months to end of April 2009.

Since there can be several contributing factors for a single crash the figures represented in this graph add to more than 100 percent.

* 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.