Holiday road toll for 2014/15

  • Craig Foss
Transport

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is encouraging anyone travelling on the roads this summer to make safety a priority.

The provisional holiday road toll for 2014/15 is 17.

“Any death or serious injury on our roads is one too many. My profound sympathies go out to the family and friends of those killed or injured this holiday season,” Mr Foss says.

“Provisional data suggests alcohol, speed or both contributed to 12 of the holiday period fatalities.

“So many of these accidents, and the pain and suffering they cause, are avoidable.  Give yourself the best chance of survival by driving to the conditions, wearing a seatbelt and avoiding alcohol before getting behind the wheel.”

Injury statistics for the 2014/15 holiday period will take several months to finalise.

The official Christmas/New Year holiday period ran from 4pm on 24 December 2014 to 6am on 5 January 2015.

Notes:

The length of the official Christmas/New Year holiday period varies depending on where the statutory holidays fall in relation to the weekend. In 2014/15, the official holiday period was 11.6 days. In 2013/14, it was 9.6 days.

The lowest Christmas/New Year holiday period road toll on record was in 2012/13, with six recorded deaths. The highest holiday period road toll was in 1972/73, with 37 deaths.

More information about the historical Christmas/New Year holiday period road toll is available at: www.transport.govt.nz/research/roadtoll/christmasnewyearholidayperiod