There are over 400 deaths and 16,000 injuries from some 9,000 reported traffic accidents on New Zealand roads each year. There are also a large number of accidents which result in considerable damage to vehicles but which are not reported. By comparison with the records of some overseas countries where “damage only” accidents must be reported by law, it is estimated that there are 20,000 to 40,000 damage accidents a year with an average of more than £30 worth of damage to a vehicle.
The number of deaths and injuries increased by 84 per cent and 157 per cent respectively between 1950 and 1964. In the same period the number of motor vehicles has increased and the accident rate (injuries and deaths per 10,000 vehicles registered) has remained almost constant, except in 1964 when there was a sharp increase. The death rate per 10,000 vehicles in 1964 was considerably lower than in 1950.
The following table shows the trend of traffic accidents over the past 15 years.
| Year | Persons Killed | Persons Injured | Killed and Injured per 10,000 Vehicles |
| 1950 | 232 | 6,319 | 170 |
| 1951 | 292 | 6,938 | 172 |
| 1952 | 272 | 7,448 | 163 |
| 1953 | 313 | 7,686 | 158 |
| 1954 | 360 | 7,875 | 155 |
| 1955 | 333 | 8,976 | 162 |
| 1956 | 329 | 9,758 | 163 |
| 1957 | 384 | 11,053 | 175 |
| 1958 | 379 | 11,408 | 171 |
| 1959 | 349 | 11,703 | 168 |
| 1960 | 374 | 12,443 | 172 |
| 1961 | 393 | 12,796 | 168 |
| 1962 | 398 | 13,776 | 171 |
| 1963 | 394 | 14,477 | 170 |
| 1964 | 428 | 16,268 | 179 |
Unfortunately, the road-accident figures for the half-year, January-June 1965, are disturbing, with 292 dead and 9,000–10,000 drivers, passengers, and cyclists injured. The fatalities for this period show a high increase in relation to that in traffic volume.
It is difficult to compare accident rates in New Zealand with those of other countries, because the reporting of accidents, the number of vehicles, the average milage run, the population, and the density of pedestrians all vary from country to country. Precise measures of these variables are often not available.
The following table compares New Zealand with three other countries and shows that on this basis New Zealand has a low accident rate.
| Motor Accident Death and Injury Rates, 1964 | ||||
| New Zealand | Australia | Britain | United States | |
| Persons killed | 428 | 2,823 | 7,820 | 47,800 |
| Persons injured | 16,268 | 70,483 | 377,679 | 1,700,000 |
| Killed per 10,000 vehicles | 4.6 | 8.0 | 6.3 | 5.5 |
| Killed per 100,000 | 16.5 | 21.0 | 14.9 | 25.0 |
| population Injured per 10,000 vehicles | 174.5 | 256.0 | 306.9 | 195.4 |
| Injured per 100,000 population | 627.9 | 639.0 | 717.9 | 888.5 |
Traffic accidents which result in injury to any person must be reported to the police, and a report on each of these accidents is forwarded to the Transport Department. From these reports statistics of accidents are compiled, and the table below sets out the main causes of accidents reported.
| Causes | Number of Accidents |
| Drivers' faults: | |
| Failure to yield right of way at an | 1,698 |
| intersection | |
| Inattention or attention diverted | 1,211 |
| Excessive speed | 976 |
| Failure to keep left | 612 |
| Overtaking faults | 432 |
| Failure to comply with traffic signs and signals | 364 |
| Following too closely | 323 |
| Intoxicated | 304 |
| Turning suddenly | 237 |
| Other drivers' faults | 2,073 |
| Faults of pedal cyclist | 615 |
| Faults of pedestrians | 1,105 |
| Mechanical faults in motor vehicles | 475 |
| Mechanical faults in pedal cycles | 49 |
| Road conditions | 342 |
| Weather conditions | 102 |
| Miscellaneous and unknown | 418 |
| 11,336 |
Detailed research into traffic accidents both in New Zealand and overseas has shown that rarely can an accident be attributed to a single cause. Most accidents are the product of a number of factors operating together – for instance, a tired driver, smooth tyres, a slightly slippery road surface, light rain, and dazzling headlights might all be causes of one accident. If one of these factors had been corrected, then the accident would have been avoided. The natural tendency is to look for a driving fault when investigating an accident, but it is likely (and studies have confirmed) that factors such as road conditions, weather, and mechanical faults are considerably more important than the statistics given above would show.
Because most traffic accidents are the product of several factors, the probability of accidents can be reduced in a number of different ways. There is no doubt that the following activities have prevented the increase in accidents that would normally result from increases in traffic density. There are three main approaches to preventing accidents:
Education and training of (a) children in school by road-traffic instructors and school teachers; and of (b) adolescents in the principles of safe driving and in good driving attitudes; by (c) refresher courses for older drivers to bring home safe-driving principles and to refresh their knowledge of traffic law; and by means of (d) newspaper, radio television, and other publicity, to draw the attention of all road users both to dangers and to safe practices on the road.
Enforcement by (a) adopting reasonable and enforceable traffic laws which, at the same time, are best designed to prevent accidents; (b) concentrating the time and energy of traffic officers on the offences, locations, and times that feature frequently in accidents; and (c) thoroughly testing new drivers to ensure they will not be liable to cause accidents.
Engineering of vehicles and roads: Vehicle engineering, comprising (a) regular inspection for a “warrant of fitness” to ensure that the main components of the vehicle are safe; (b) improving the design of the vehicle to give ease of vision and control to the driver and so reduce the likelihood of injury in an accident; (c) fitting safety equipment, such as seat belts.
Road or traffic engineering comprises (a) the design of new roads which are inherently safe (separating opposing traffic flows, eliminating cross traffic, and providing wide shoulders and traffic lanes and good visibility); (b) Improving existing roads by realignment, improving vision, and resurfacing slippery surfaces; (c) Regulating traffic movement by installing traffic signals, traffic islands, road markings, and regulatory signs such as “stop” and “give way” signs; and (d) assisting the driver with warning and destination signs to avoid danger and confusion.
M.R.Pr.