The 11 fatal crashes in Southland in 2008, was the highest number recorded in the province in the last five years.
The 11 fatal crashes in Southland in 2008, was the highest number recorded in the province in the last five years.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) road crash figures for Southland from 2004 to 2008 show there were 45 fatal crashes in Southland over this period and 518 crashes in which people were seriously injured. Last year 12 people died on the regions roads and 89 were seriously injured. This compares to 11 fatalities and 122 people seriously injured in 2007.
New Zealand Transport Agency Otago-Southland Regional Director Bruce Richards says that between 2004 and 2008 shows nearly half of the more than 1000 death and injury road crashes in Southland over this period involved under 25 year-olds. These crashes resulted in 26 deaths, and seriously injured 306 people - a further 1283 suffered minor injuries. Almost half of the young drivers in these crashes were on learner or restricted licences. More than sixty percent were males with a similar percentage of them 15-19 year-olds.
“In 2008 fatal and injury crashes involving young drivers totalled 166 including five fatal crashes, considerably less than the 234 recorded in 2005. While these figures are trending down, on average there have been fatal crashes involving five young people on Southland roads every year over the last five years. These crashes come at a huge cost to the families involved as well as the communities where these victims lived”.
Intersections were one of the major causes of fatal and serious injury crashes on Southland roads over the past five years. The majority of these crashes were in Invercargill City where between 2004 and 2008 there were 8 deaths, 132 people being seriously injured and 785 people receiving minor injury. Almost a third of these occurred on wet or icy roads.
Road safety issues reports for the Southland region, Invercargill City, Southland district and Gore district are available at www.landtransport.govt.nz/performance/index.html(external link)
For more information please contact:
Bob Nettleton
Regional Communications Advisor
T DDI 03 951 3005
M 021 954 928
E-mail bob.nettleton@nzta.govt.nz
Senior Sergeant Steve Larking
Acting Manager Road Policing Otago-Southland
T DDI 03 471 4998
M 021 954 928
E-mail Stephen.Larking@police.govt.nz
