Eleven dead: Younger males make up largest chunk of those killed on Whanganui roads over 2021

Eleven people died on Whanganui roads this year, up on both 2020 and 2019. Photo / NZME

A total of 11 people died on roads across the Whanganui region this year - most of them young men.

According to Te Manatū Waka/Ministry of Transport data, the region had more deaths this year than in the previous two.

In the Whanganui district alone, five people died on the road - down one from last year.

Three were male, two were female. Three were between the ages of 25 and 39, and one was a child aged under 14.

Four of the five deaths were on state highways with a 100km/h limit, and one person died on a council-maintained road with a speed limit of 50km/h.

In the Ruapehu District, two more people died on the road this year than last year - five lost their lives.

Whanganui_road_toll

All five of those killed on Ruapehu roads were men, two of whom were teenagers.

Similar to the Whanganui District, four of the deaths were on 100km/h-limited state highways, and one was on a local road.

The Rangitīkei District, which captures a large portion of State Highway 1, had one road death this year - the same as last year.

The man, between the age of 25 and 39, and was killed on a council-maintained road with an 100km/h speed limit.

No one died on South Taranaki district roads this year - down from a total of four last year.

Drivers responsible for their own safety - top cop

Police assistant commissioner Bruce O'Brien said 2021 had been a difficult year on the roads across the country.

The previous few days have been some of the most tragic on the roads nationwide this year.

"In December and January, the crash risk does increase, people going away on unfamiliar roads that they may not have driven on before."

"Its been a long year for everybody in the country with Covid, so fatigue kicks in, travelling long distances, it's hot, people get impatient and then they make bad decisions, speeding or overtaking in dangerous spots and it just puts themselves at a high risk of killing themselves or somebody else."

Speaking to the wider statistics surrounding road fatalities, O'Brien said each of those killed on New Zealand roads have their own story.

"They're humans, they're families, they're uncles, sons, daughters - so we really have to start thinking, these are people dying on the roads."

Police were patrolling the roads and would intervene when necessary but he said the responsibility fell on the driver's shoulders.

"Ultimately this comes back to driver behaviour and drivers have the sole responsibility when they get into their car, for themselves, their passengers and other road users.

"It's pretty simple if you are going too fast and you do have to make a decision ... [where] you've got to stop ... those things don't go in your favour if you're going too fast."