The Associate Transport Minister has called officials to a crisis meeting over the road toll.
It’s passed a grim milestone – 328 dead on our roads so far this year. That’s the same number that died in the whole of last year, and there are still 43 days to go.
This year more than one person a day has died on our roads, and we’re heading for our highest road toll since 2010.
“It’s not acceptable that people should die when they’re just going about their lives,” says Associate Transport Minister Julie-Anne Genter.
Ms Genter has called together officials from the police, the Ministry of Transport and the NZTA for an urgent meeting on Tuesday.
“I’ve asked officials for an immediate briefing on what can be done in a short period of time and they’ve indicated a few areas, so we’ll be exploring those and implementing whatever’s going to be most effective to save lives.”
Ministry of Transport: Annual road toll historical information
Road toll peaks approximately each decade:
- 1921: 69
- 1930: 246
- 1939: 246
- 1951: 292
- 1961: 393
- 1973: 843
- 1982: 673
- 1990: 729
- 2000: 462
- 2009: 384
- 2013: 253 (low)
- 2016: 318
Trends also of interest:
It appears that congestion is pushing the toll back up.
It doesn’t appear to be a crisis, yet, but it should be cause for concern.
Alan Wilkinson
/ November 20, 2017Too many crap drivers on crap roads. Need a clean out at the top of LTNZ. Also better vetting of tourist licences.
-D
/ November 20, 2017Couldn’t someone please publish this year’s road-toll statistics classified by primary contributing factor so we can see accurately what we’re up against? Surely such a breakdown exists somewhere already.
traveller
/ November 20, 2017No, lets rather have a self promoting American proselytising. Can’t imagine why you’d ant sensible stats.
traveller
/ November 20, 2017want
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017Traveller, you appear to despise Left wing women, especially those who are attractive – fair observation, yes?
phantom snowflake
/ November 20, 2017“those who are attractive”. Who woulda thunk you would buy into conventional ideas of beauty and attractiveness? How progressive of you Robert LOL
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017phantom – “attractive” isn’t a rating, it’s a description: if someone attracts, say, positive comments or admiring remarks about their appearance or manner, then they are attractive. I’ve not bought into those ideas, my comment is dispassionate. You probably could describe it as progressive, as you suggest.
phantom snowflake
/ November 20, 2017Sorry Robert. I should probably stick to posting music videos…
Trevors_elbow
/ November 20, 2017Messenger attack. Is that all you have?
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017I have much more than that, Trevor. In any case, my question has gone unanswered, being , I suppose, awkward.
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017Xenophobic much?
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017Ms G came across as smug and self-righteous on the news; especially when she pushed off on her bicycle.
I had heard before that there were more deaths per capita in the 30s-no seatbelts, heavier cars that made the occupants take the impact. There were as near as dammit the same then as in 2013, and I wish that I knew what the population was in 1930.
I wouldn’t call it a crisis, either. But it’s still too many. Why was 1990 so bad ?
We once went past a fatal accident-there were enough people helping, so we didn’t stop, just got out of their way-and I still remember the horror of seeing someone picking a severed leg, still with its boot on, off the road and carrying it to the side. That person would have had nightmares forever, I think.
Patzcuaro
/ November 20, 2017It would be interesting to see road toll compared to economic prosperity, the more money young males have the more cars and fuel they can buy. More young males on the road would place upward pressure on road toll.
Looks like the road toll was low during the 1940s while males were at war and fuel short. It also peaked in 1973 which coincides with the UK joining the Common Market.
Alan Wilkinson
/ November 20, 2017That’s a well tested correlation, Patz. Toll goes down in recessions, up in boom times.
High Flying Duck
/ November 20, 2017Looks like the 40-59yr age group has had the biggest jump:
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017During the war petrol was severely rationed and many cars were put away ‘for the duration’ in the UK, so it was probably the same here, which would inevitably lower the toll.One can’t really count those years, as we would have to know just how much less cars were being used and how much less petrol people had. I don’t believe that having men away had much to do with it.
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 20171,600,000 people, 140,000 servicemen and women-mainly men. So less than 10% of the population, even if it was a very high % of men of that age who went to fight.
I didn’t mean how many <i. fewer cars were being used, of course, I meant how much less use cars had.
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017fewer
Trevors_elbow
/ November 20, 2017What is the rolling 12 month average? Is that the trend graph?
We have an upward blip…. I’m sure we have had them before, but its a Crisis!!! TINO positioning one suspects to cut spending on Roads of National Significance….
JAG will suggest more trains and cycling lanes are the answer… 95% confidence rating
Im probably a little cynical but this smells like a nice little campaign unfolding ….to stop major road building which would support economic growth so the Greens can fund their pet projects
I wonder if the Greens have the balls to go after Transmission Gully? They hated Wellington having better access… well at least Sue from O Bay did….
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017No, they wouldn’t dare stop Transmission Gully Trev. The work’s far too advanced. There’d be hell to pay.
artcroft
/ November 20, 2017I’d not be surprised to hear the Greens declare the answer is less roads and more rail.
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017Something unexpected, from Left-field.
Trevors_elbow
/ November 20, 2017Something out of the state control hand book from the Greens who would have dreamed that would be the case???!!!???
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017Less roads ? Fewer roads, surely.
Corky
/ November 20, 2017Increased population. Increased ageing vehicle fleet. More distracted drivers( social media). Law of diminishing returns. More deaths. The road toll will continue to climb. Simple stats.
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017Given that it’s [deleted] Julie who’s demanding action & she’s a full on SJW I’m getting a bit nervous the speed limit might be dropped to 50kph …
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017Must have a look later for any maps of “black spots”. Too many of our roads are way too short of what they should be in design & capacity given the speeds cars can go nowadays. Trips from Welly to New P,ymouth are still a pain because after Wanganui you run into Fonterra milk tankers with trailer tanks going up hills, with nowhere to pass, for kilometres, & lots of curving roads. Frustration drives people to pass on bridges & underestimate distance to pass etc. Once when I tried to pull into a passing lane to boot it to get past two of the damn things, I couldn’t because one of them pulled out to pass the other! And didn’t bloody make it!
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017That’s an excuse. If you can see that a road is unsuitable for high speeds, don’t go at high speed. The roads can’t all be remade so that leadfoots can use them as speedways. Make the speed suit the road,don’t expect the roads to be remade at an astronomical cost to suit the speed.
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017Well, I agree Kitty but it’s a main highway artery, traffic has increased, milk tankers have increased many people are travelling long distances at the speed limit, patiently slowing down & waiting for a too few, too short passing lane to pass the odd Ma or Pa Kettle or Tractor that toddle out of a side road & putter on down to the next little farming town or village, & then they run into a seies of ruddy great milk tankers & trailers slowing everybody right down up going up hills as traffic backs up – there’s always the first two or three cars desperate to get in front of them at the very next passing lane, & one or more frustrated aholes 6 cars back that’s frustrated or late or whatever who pulls out too & is suddenly alongside everybody else who was about to try & pass, going like the clappers …
artcroft
/ November 20, 2017Cutting the open road speed limit and issuing more tickets would a great way to bring the govt’s poll numbers down.
Corky
/ November 20, 2017Yep, like a slinger on his knees with a hole where his liver used to be. A fatal condition, Arty.
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017Undertakers wait for overtakers.
David
/ November 20, 2017In the last 3 months I have holidayed in England, Hong Kong and Macau and to be perfectly honest Christchurch drivers are just rubbish. We as a country are rubbish drivers, rude, discourteous, too competitive, unable to maintain a constant speed.
And 7 years after the quakes Christchurch roads are 3rd world and a disgrace yet we are spending 150 million on bike paths that few use. We need a change of government 🙂
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017“We needed a change of Government, and, thank you, lucky stars (and Winston) we got one. Bike paths! Whose dopey idea was that ?
David
/ November 20, 2017Christchurch councils decision, infested with greenies and run by a lefty.
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017Weren’t cycleways John Key’s legacy?
Or did he not create any at all?
traveller
/ November 20, 20172500 km in 6 years. Surely as a Green you’re familiar with this well-used tourist initiative.
Unbelievable that you aren’t
robertguyton
/ November 20, 2017Key was a greenie Lefty, David?
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017The National Cycleway passes through Tawa & on up to Porirua alongside the stream. You’d be lucky to see a touring cyclist a day. Great for strolling & dog walking for us locals though. It’s a scenic route.
High Flying Duck
/ November 20, 2017It would be interesting seeing the ethnic make up of the toll as well.
With strong immigration in the last few years there are probably a large cohort of drivers unfamiliar with NZ roads and road rules.
We hear of the tourist issues with causing accidents, but new residents are probably also a factor.
NZ Roads are also a huge issue with terrible cambers and alignments.
I believe there has not been a fatality on any of the RONS to date – proper roads built with proper safety.
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017Welly’s new Expressway is a joy to drive.
Gezza
/ November 20, 2017Until it suddenly bloody disappears at Waikanae & you think you must be in Uganda now!
dave1924
/ November 20, 2017Be very nice IF it gets extended right through the Horowhenua and is joined to a completed Transmission Gully…. will make the travel so much easier in and out of Wellington
Westie Bob
/ November 20, 2017A better correlation would be number of wet days/nights to road deaths. Ask panel beaters when the accidents happen.
alloytoo
/ November 20, 2017Historically all opposition MP’s had to do in the past was declare a crisis and issues would resolve themselves.
I will be interesting to see if they realize that they have to do a little more now that they are actually responsible.
alloytoo
/ November 20, 2017I used to work for an Auto dealership, the parts manager used to rub his hands together when the rain hit, in anticipation of the panel orders he would receive the next morning.
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017What a vile man he sounds. How could he be glad that people were being injured and killed just because he was making money out of this ? Bad kharma.
Alloytoo
/ November 20, 2017A panel repair usually meant our customer survived
Kitty Catkin
/ November 20, 2017What about the ones who were injured ?
I am surprised that he didn’t rush to crash scenes and hand out business cards.