More than 400 killed on roads in 2005

A total of 404 people died on New Zealand roads last year – 31 fewer than in 2004 and the lowest yearly road toll since 1963, Land Transport New Zealand said today. 

Early analysis showed driving too fast for the conditions and drink-driving were the two biggest factors in fatal crashes during the year, with excessive speed a factor in 32 per cent and drink-driving contributing to 29 per cent.

Twenty-three per cent of people killed in crashes last year were not wearing seatbelts.

The Government has set a target of no more than 300 road deaths and no more than 4,500 hospitalisations per year by 2010.

Andy Knackstedt at LTNZ said that though the figures were encouraging there was still much to do to reduce the road toll further.

He told nzherald.co.nz: "Any time you have 400 people dying on the roads, you can't really say it is good news. But if you look at the big picture, the numbers are heading in the right direction.

"The majority of New Zealand drivers are getting the message on speeding, drink-driving and wearing seatbelts.

"But there is still a stubborn minority of people who are driving too fast, drinking and driving and not wearing safety belts."

He said it was difficult to tell what the significance of this year's high holiday death toll was. Nineteen people have already died on the roads during the holiday period, which does not end until Wednesday morning.

In the latest fatal crash, a rear seat passenger was killed at about 5.40am today when the car he was travelling in crashed into a drain on State Highway 2 near Paeroa.

He was one of four people in the car, and was not wearing a seatbelt when the vehicle left the road, police said.

The latest figures show that overall there have been nearly 5,000 deaths and 137,000 injuries from crashes on the roads over the past 10 years.

More than 34,000 people have been killed on the road since New Zealand's first known fatal crash in Christchurch in 1908. The deadliest year on our roads was 1973, when 843 were killed.

As recently as 1990 there were 729 road deaths. Since then annual road deaths have dropped by nearly 45 per cent, in spite of a 38 per cent increase in the number of vehicles on the road and a 20 per cent increase in population.

New Zealand road deaths 1990-2005
1990 - 729
1991 - 650
1992 - 646
1993 - 600
1994 - 580
1995 - 582
1996 - 514
1997 - 539
1998 - 501
1999 - 508
2000 - 462
2001 - 455
2002 - 405
2003 - 461
2004 - 435
2005 - 404

- additional reporting NZPA