The provisional number of road deaths in 2024 stands at 289 — the lowest annual road toll in 11 years.
Down from 341 in 2023, last year’s road toll was the lowest since 2013 when 253 people died. That year’s road toll was the lowest in more than 60 years.
The official Christmas-New Year holiday road toll period began at 4pm on December 24 and lasts until 6am on January 3 — marking one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
Police acknowledged the reduction in the annual figure but said that any number of road deaths was too high.
Police acknowledged the reduction in the annual figure but said that any number of road deaths was too high. (Source: 1News)
Director of road policing Superintendent Steve Greally said police were doing everything they could to help bring the number down.
“Our officers have done, and are doing, as much as humanly possible out on the roads working to reduce the number of death and serious-injury crashes.”
The number of alcohol breath tests conducted has doubled in the last couple of years with police on track to conduct more than 4 million by the end of the financial year in June 2025.
Greally said the police frontline was “passionate” about preventing serious crashes.
“If you are one of those people who is determined to put people’s lives at risk and you are caught, you should not expect a warning.
“Given the increased levels of police enforcement, the chances of being caught are high.”
Road safety experts told 1News the road toll could be the lowest it has been in years for multiple reasons — one of them being the economy.
Road safety experts suggest New Zealand could have the lowest road toll in years for multiple reasons — one being the economic situation. (Source: 1News)
“It is globally recognised that the road toll follows the economy,” said advocate Clive Matthew-Wilson.
“When you’ve got high unemployment, these guys don’t have the money to go out and buy Harley Davidsons and bang them into lamp posts. When the economy improves, everyone gets optimistic, people buy fast cars, fast bikes and the end result is more fatalities.”
AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins said he believed there was an element of economic influence to the low road toll but increased police enforcement was also contributing.
“I think some of the road conditions may have slowed people down, but I also think the modern vehicle is much safer as well.”