New Zealand has a higher rate of road deaths than many countries worldwide, placing in the bottom half of 33 countries surveyed in an international study.
Latest figures on road fatalities published by the International Transport Forum (ITF) put New Zealand 25th on the list of 33, with 8.9 fatalities per 100,000 people.
Malaysia had the highest proportion of road deaths, at 23.8 per 100,000.
Among other countries with a higher death rate than New Zealand were Argentina (18.4), Greece (13.8), United States (11.1) and Poland, 12.0.
The safest roads were in the United Kingdom which had 3.8 deaths per 100,000, followed by Sweden (3.9).
Australia was 16th, with 6.9 deaths per 100,000 people.
ITF secretary general Jack Short described it as "a record decade for road safety" with the number of road fatalities falling in 30 of the 33 countries between 2000-2009.
Roads deaths in New Zealand decreased by 2 per cent during this period.
Portugal had the highest reduction at 55 per cent, whereas Argentina, Cambodia and Malaysia had an increase.
The United Nations has declared 2011 to 2020 the decade of action for road safety, with the goal of reducing road deaths by 2020.
- NZPA
NZ poor for road deaths - study
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