Priority areas - FAQs

High Priority Areas

1) YOUNG DRIVERS

Why is the safety of young drivers a high priority?

Young people are over-represented in the crash statistics. Young people aged 15–24 years are 14.5 percent of New Zealand’s population and 16 percent of all licensed drivers. Yet in 2008 they were involved in around 37 percent of all fatal crashes and 38 percent of all serious injury crashes.

Progress has stalled in this area in recent years and we need to work hard if we are going to improve the safety of our younger drivers.

2) ALCOHOL/DRUGS

Why is alcohol/ drug impaired driving a high priority?

Alcohol/drug impaired driving is one of the largest causes of serious road crashes in New Zealand. Through the 1990s substantial progress was made in reducing the number of alcohol/drug related deaths and serious injuries. However, we have made no further progress since 2000.
In comparison to drink driving, less is known about the extent of drugged driving but evidence suggests that it is a significant road safety issue.

 
3) ROADS AND ROADSIDES

Why are roads and roadsides a high priority?

Roads and roadsides are one of the four cornerstones of the safe system. Road engineering treatments are a proven way to make roads safer and reduce trauma.
Road improvements contributed to an estimated 11 percent drop in rural road deaths and an estimated 15.8 percent drop in urban road deaths between 1997 and 2005.

This statistic shows that the safety quality of our roads is improving but there is much more to do. Many of our high volume roads (some of which are roads of national significance) also carry a high risk, often because they lack safety features such as a central median barrier to divide opposing traffic.

Investment in roads and roadsides can help prevent some crashes and reduce the consequences of crashes that do occur. The safe system approach recognises that even law abiding people will make mistakes but that roads can be designed to be more predictable and ‘forgiving’ of mistakes, such as those caused by driver distraction and errors of judgement.

We also know that investment in roads and roadsides will greatly support the other priority areas such as younger drivers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and cyclists. Road engineering improvements are not cheap and need to be maintained, but they are effective and last a long time.

4) SPEED

Why is speed a high priority?

Speed is one of the top three causes of major crashes in New Zealand. In 2008, speed contributed to 34 percent of New Zealand’s fatal crashes and 20 percent of serious injury crashes. Most drivers, including those driving heavy vehicles, still routinely speed in urban areas. In addition, the crash statistics suggest that many people still drive too fast for the conditions (eg in wet weather).

At high speeds a driver has less time to react. The impact speed also strongly determines how severe the crash is likely to be (the faster you go the bigger the mess). Small reductions in impact speed can greatly improve your chances of surviving a crash. This is particularly important for pedestrians and cyclists who do not have the same level of protection as vehicle occupants.

If speed is a high priority area then why are there no first step actions?
The road policing programme already includes enforcement activities aimed at speed. Speed will be considered in the development of further action plans.

The safe system approach allows the issue of speed to be addressed in a number of ways. Vehicle technology is advancing rapidly and devices that advise drivers of speed limits and their current travel speed may become commonplace soon.

Roads are being engineered to manage speeds to around those that are more appropriate to the situation (shopping areas, schools etc). Driver education about the effects of speed on crash avoidance and crash outcomes will continue to feature in advertising and educational material.

What is the difference between speeding and driving too fast for the conditions? 

Speeding generally refers to exceeding the posted speed limit. Too fast for conditions means you may be travelling within the posted speed limit, but because conditions have changed, that speed is no longer safe for the conditions (which could be wet weather, an extra busy road or an area with high pedestrian activity). Posted speed limits are not targets, and drivers need to adjust their speed to the conditions at all times.

5) MOTORCYCLES

Why are motorcycles a high priority?

The risk of a motorcyclist being killed or seriously injured in a crash is about 18 times higher than for a car driver. In 2008, 52 motorcyclists were killed, 466 were seriously injured and a further 1030 suffered minor injures. This equates to 14 percent of all road deaths and 18 percent of all serious injuries. With an increasing number of motorcyclists on the road it is expected that motorcycle casualties will continue to rise unless we take steps to tackle the problem.

Medium Level Priorities

1) LIGHT VEHICLES

Why are light vehicles (ie cars, vans) a priority?

Since 2000, the safety of our cars has improved by four percent each year as safer vehicles have replaced less safe ones. However, this is significantly lower than what other developed countries have achieved.  The average age of a light vehicle in New Zealand is 12 years. As older vehicles are generally less safe than newer ones this means the road safety benefits are much less than in other countries.

2) WALKING AND CYCLING

Why are walking and cycling priorities?

Pedestrians currently account for 10 percent of all road deaths and cyclists three percent. However, in urban areas, pedestrians and cyclists account for 30 percent of all road deaths.

Each year over the period 2004-2008, an average of 678 pedestrians were hospitalised and 38 were killed. Each year over this period, an average of nearly 300 cyclists were hospitalised and 10 were killed from crashes involving a motor vehicle.

3) FATIGUE

Why is fatigue a priority?

Fatigue is a serious road safety issue. It affects a driver’s ability to concentrate, their understanding of the road and traffic around them and increases their reaction time. International research suggests that fatigue could be a factor in up to 25 percent of all crashes. Crashes resulting from fatigue are among the most severe on the road as they tend to involve higher speeds. This is an issue that needs improved understanding if we are to reduce its impact.

4) DISTRACTION

Why is distraction a priority?

Distraction is a serious road safety issue. It is often the initial event in a chain of events resulting in serious crashes. Despite its seriousness we do not know the full extent of distraction’s contribution to crashes. However, international research suggests distraction could be a factor in around 20 percent of all crashes. Like fatigue, this is an issue that needs improved understanding if we are to reduce its impact.

5) HEAVY VEHICLES

Why are heavy vehicles a priority?

Heavy vehicles pose a particular challenge for road safety because the consequences of crashes involving them are more severe. In 2008, crashes involving heavy vehicles accounted for 18 percent of the road toll and 9 percent of total injuries. This equates to 65 deaths, 258 serious injuries and 1,144 minor injuries.

6) HIGH RISK DRIVERS

What is a “high risk driver”?

High risk drivers are dangerous and reckless drivers, disqualified drivers, unlicensed drivers, drivers involved in illegal street racing, repeat drink/drug driving offenders, high Blood Alcohol Concentration offenders, repeat speed offenders and high level speed offenders.

Why are high risk drivers a priority?

Safer Journeys consultation found strong public concern about high risk drivers. Although low in number, high risk drivers are over-represented in crash statistics and their crashes tend to be more serious than those involving other drivers. They are also more likely to be at fault.

Areas of continued and emerging focus

What is meant by continued and emerging focus?

These are areas that either need attention to ensure we do not lose the improvements we have made so far, or issues that are likely to become more important in the future. We will need further change and innovation in these areas over the period 2010–2020. However in comparison with the priorities deemed “high” or “medium”, “area of continued focus” means that relatively less change in policy focus or effort is required at this stage.

1) RESTRAINTS

Why are restraints an area of “continued and emerging focus”?

New Zealand has made progress in increasing restraint use, but there is still room for improvement. On average, 95 percent of adults use front safety belts and 87 percent use rear safety belts. Ninety-one percent of children under the age of five now use restraints. However, surveys suggest that up to 65 percent are not fitted or used correctly. We have also fallen behind international best practice in terms of child restraint use by primary school-aged children.

2) OLDER NEW ZEALANDERS

Why are older New Zealanders an emerging issue?

Older road users have a lower risk of being in a crash than other road users but a higher risk of being seriously injured when in a crash. Twenty years ago, older New Zealanders comprised about five percent of total road fatalities and two percent of injuries. These figures have since doubled. Given our aging population this trend is likely to continue. We will need to prepare for the increase in the older road user population.