World Health Day 2004: Road Safety is No Accident

Media release

7 April 2004

World Health Day 2004: Road Safety is No Accident

Road traffic injuries are still taking a heavy toll in New Zealand terms of both social and economic costs, despite a decline in recent years, says Ministry of Health acting public health director Dr Douglas Lush.

Commenting on the Road Safety is no Accident theme in today's World Health Day (7/4), Dr Lush says fatal Road traffic injury risk is still relatively high in New Zealand compared to countries such as Britain and the Netherlands. New Zealand has the 14th highest road death rate out of 31 countries, with 11.8 deaths per 100,000 population. (Source: New Zealand Land Transport Safety Authority http://www.ltsa.govt.nz)

ACC figures for the period July 2002-June 2003 list a total of 2,565 new road accident-related claims totalling $12,026,000.

Over the same period, 7,077 ongoing claims in this road accident category cost ACC $117,190,000.

Dr Lush says Looking Upstream, a recent Ministry of Health report, lists excessive speed, drinking-driving and non-use of safety belts as major and continuing risk factors. Excessive speed and drink-driving each contribute to about 30 percent of fatal crashes, and non-use of safety belts to over five percent.

Road accidents victims need considerable hospital treatment, using up valuable resources. The human cost of long-term injuries should also be considered.

"Those who work in a major hospital frequently have to deal with the consequences of road trauma, and the phrase 'trauma' doesn't adequately describe the shattered lives and disrupted families that often result," says Dr Lush.

"All of us have a responsibility to analyse our own driving habits, because taking the attitude that it's always someone else's fault will not lessen the road toll."

While the percentage of motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrian deaths are comparatively low, New Zealand's total road death rate is still too high.

"Too many people are dying in vehicles, on bikes and on foot. Death and injury on our roads are avoidable, they are not accidents."

New Zealand's National Road Safety Plan, which links into the New Zealand Health Strategy, aims to influences action at all levels.

"It is important for District Health Boards and providers to coordinate their activities with other agencies delivering services as part of the effort to reduce road casualties," says Dr Lush.