Provisional data has revealed three people died from road crashes during the Easter holiday. That number is lower than the same period in 2018, but it is still too many, according to the government.
Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said fewer road deaths are no comfort for those left behind.
“My heart breaks for families and loved ones who’re grieving, and communities impacted by these road crashes,” Genter said. “As [the] minister with responsibility for road safety, delivering road safety outcomes that reduce, or eliminate, the number of lives lost or seriously injured in road crashes is a primary goal.”
With the Anzac Day public holiday falling on Thursday and school holidays underway, Genter is urging New Zealand travellers to stay focused, be patient, and drive according to the conditions.
“We know we need to change our thinking about road safety,” she noted. “On average, one person dies on New Zealand’s roads every day and someone else is injured every hour of every day. Everyone makes mistakes, but we need to stop these mistakes turning into tragedies.
“New Zealand’s roads are challenging and the consequences of small errors can be fatal. We’re working to make our roads safer, and improve the safety of our vehicles so that simple mistakes don’t turn into tragedies,” the minister added.
Historically, the lowest Easter road toll saw no deaths in 2012, while the highest recorded number of deaths from road crashes during the Easter holiday period was 21 in 1971.
