03/07/2018
Road safety.
Hi all,
We’re just a little over halfway through the year and already it’s shaping up to be another terrible one on our roads. In 2017, 378 people in total were killed on the roads of NZ. NZTA figures state that to this date last year there had been 33 deaths on the roads in Waikato. To date this year the toll in the Waikato stands at 38.
New Zealand’s lowest road toll nationally in recent memory was 284 back in 2011. A huge drop from 375 the previous year. Sadly, we have seen year on year increases since then which is in sharp contrast to the rest of the western world which is witnessing steadily declining numbers. World Health Organisation (WHO) figures show that NZ has a death rate per 100,000 of 5.74. This is based upon last years figures so will likely get worse. Contrast this with the UK (2.58) and Sweden (2.49) and even Australia (4.94). For the record, last year’s run-away “winner” was Zimbabwe with a rate of 75.02 per 100,000.
So why? Why when most of the developed world is improving are we getting worse?
In 2016 76% of road fatalities in New Zealand occurred on rural roads. As someone who has been driving here for 5 years I know there is a huge variation in the quality and safety of our rural roads.
But there has to be more to it than that.
Unbelievably, seat-belt use (or lack of) remains a factor here in NZ. With all the statistics available you’d think this should no longer happen, but it does. Although only a small minority of road users continue to drive without a seat-belt up to a third of road fatalities are found to have been unrestrained at the time of impact. It doesn’t matter how safe your vehicle is if you are no longer inside it.
Excessive speed certainly continues to be a major factor both in the cause of the accident itself and the severity of injuries sustained. NZ police figures suggest that the likelihood of a crash doubles for every 5km/h over a 60km/h limit. Further studies from the WHO show that even a decrease of 1km/h in mean traffic speed can reduce the incidence of fatal crashes by 4-5%. Safer Journeys estimate a 5km/h reduction in mean speeds could result in saving 60 lives a year on NZ roads.
NZ Police also list mobile phone use, drug and alcohol use whilst driving and inattention as other common causes of road traffic collisions.
The figures are out there for everyone to see. Take a look online and search for road safety statistics.
We see the reality in our ED. Much like the Police and other Emergency services we see the people behind the numbers. I know that a number of people will read the information above and feel it doesn’t apply to them. The reality is it applies to us all. We all have a responsibility to make our roads safer. I wish I could truly show you what we deal with in our ED, the injuries, the impact on everyday people and families. That I feel would be far more effective than figures in terms of getting this message across. Hence the reason for this post. We are not the police. It’s not our job as an ED to patrol the roads and curb unsafe driving. But we do handle the physical and emotional trauma in the aftermath of an accident. Just recently we are doing this far too often.
Please wear a seat-belt, watch your speed and don’t take unnecessary risks. Let’s all make our roads safer.
Take care all,
Mike
