The New Zealand Automobile Association's latest report has revealed the “first meaningful reduction” in New Zealand’s road deaths in years during 2019.
It found that 353 people died in crashes in 2019, which the insurer believes to be a tragic number yet a “step in the right direction” – with 24 fewer deaths than the previous two years.
“There is no good number of deaths on the roads – everyone would always want less – but after five years of increases it is very welcome to see less New Zealanders lose their lives in crashes in 2019,” Mike Noon, motoring affairs general manager at NZAA, said. “It is a small but significant step in the right direction. Early on in the last decade we had three years where fewer than 300 people were killed on the roads, so we know it is possible.”
July and October 2019 both had the lowest number of road deaths ever recorded, although April and December had many more deaths than recent years. The differences between 2019 and the previous two years were fewer deaths among pedestrians, drivers, and passengers as well as fewer deaths among 16- to 24-year-olds.
“We need to be doing lots of things like improving and maintaining roads at large scale, intensifying the fight against impaired driving and lifting the standard of our vehicles, but it’s also up to all of us as individuals to do what we can,” Noon said.
“If we can get all drivers to do better at simple things like keeping at least a two-second following distance, not using their phones or other distractions, driving to the conditions and being fully alert and focused behind the wheel it will make a huge impact on safety.”
