Fewer road deaths, still too many
TransportAssociate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter is urging motorists to take extra care over the rest of the school holiday period.
The official Easter holiday period finished at 6am this morning, with the provisional number of deaths from road crashes standing at three. However with the Anzac Day public holiday falling on Thursday and school holidays underway, many New Zealanders will still be travelling.
“While the number of deaths from road crashes is lower than the same period in 2018, that’s no comfort for those left behind. My heart breaks for families and loved ones who’re grieving, and communities impacted by these road crashes.
“As Minister with responsibility for road safety, delivering road safety outcomes that reduce, or eliminate, the number of lives lost or seriously injured in road crashes is a primary goal. The school holidays are a time when great family memories should be made, so I’m encouraging everyone to stay focused, be patient and drive according to the conditions. We want to see everyone arrive home safely from their holiday destinations.
“We know we need to change our thinking about road safety. On average, one person dies on New Zealand’s roads every day and someone else is injured every hour of every day. Everyone makes mistakes, but we need to stop these mistakes turning into tragedies.
“New Zealand’s roads are challenging and the consequences of small errors can be fatal. We’re working to make our roads safer, and improve the safety of our vehicles so that simple mistakes don’t turn into tragedies.” says Julie Anne Genter.
The official 2019 Easter holiday period ran from 4pm Thursday 18 April until 6am this morning. Historically, the lowest Easter road toll saw no deaths in 2012, while the highest recorded number of deaths from road crashes during the Easter holiday period was 21 in 1971.