Caroline Perry: Development director at Break New Zealand on new road toll numbers

The week began optimistically as the road toll was believed to be heading for the lowest rates in a decade.

Data reveals that last year actually saw the lowest rate of road deaths per capita in a century. 

289 people died on the roads, which is the lowest number per capita since 1923.

Development director at Break New Zealand Caroline Perry joins the show. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
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Speaker 2 (00:16):
On Monday, we had indications we're on track to the
lowest road toll in a decade for the year of
twenty twenty four. Well, the numbers are in and the
data reveals last year actually saw the last rate of
road deaths per capita in a century. Two hundred and
eighty nine people died on the roads, the lowest number
per capital since nineteen twenty three, and the first time
the raid has been less than three hundred since twenty fourteen.

(00:39):
Development director at Break New Zealand, Carolyn Perry is with
me to discuss this milestone.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Carolyn, good morning, Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:47):
So how good is this news?

Speaker 3 (00:50):
Of course, it's a positive to see that reduction, but
still two hundred and eighty nine family dealing with the
death of love born on our road and even more
who've suffered serious injuries. So we still have a long
way to go when it comes to making our roads safer.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Have we do?

Speaker 2 (01:05):
You know if we've traded the maybe a few You
sound so callous to describe this word, but has the
number of deaths on the road or the reduced number
being traded off against maybe increased serious injury.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Until we get all of the data through, we don't
know for certain on that number of serious injuries have
been fairly static for the last few years. But until
we see all the data come through from hospitalizations things,
we don't know as much information about serious injuries peace
at this stage.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
Do you agree with the idea that less people on
the roads because of the economy and increased enforcement is
the reason behind the slower number.

Speaker 3 (01:46):
It's difficult to know and could be a range of reasons,
but certainly those that could be part of it. We
no more wants more analysis of those crushes has taken place,
but it certainly could include things like the increasing police
enforcement over the last couple of years, the cost of living. Historically,
when cost of living is high, people tend to travel
less and we see a reduction in crashes. But also

(02:08):
it could be things like the impact of some of
the infrastructure improvements and road safety measures that have been
implemented over the last few years as well.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
A car is going to get even more safer, do
you think or if we sort of reached the pinnacle
or the earbags and all the technology that's involved with
keeping us safe if we do of an.

Speaker 3 (02:23):
Accident, the technology continues to improve and develop. Obviously we
hope that this would continue, but it takes a combination
of things to address road safety. It's not one solution.
So we need to improve the safety of the roads themselves,
have safe speed limits that match the conditions of the roads,

(02:44):
keep continuing to improve the safety of vehicles, and we
see that coming through with those technology improvements and have
increased in effective enforcement. And then there's also the part
that we all still play as road users and keeping
ourselves some of the safe as well.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
What more do we need to do then to continue
to lower this toll rate? Do you think we're going
to be able to do that?

Speaker 3 (03:04):
So we hope that we need to look at all
of those that all of those parts of the safe
system to really make continue to make those improvements in
road safety. And what we're concerned about is that some
of the impacts that we might see for things like
the increased speed limits that are planned to be coming

(03:25):
in in certain areas and what impact that will have
and the focus on the roads of national significance and
the amount of money that's going to those whilst we're
seeing funding reduced for areas of road safety and things
like walking and cycling and the.

Speaker 2 (03:38):
Impact that that might have the holiday road Tolley in
is tomorrow. At the moment, I think we're sitting at eight.
How does that sit in the scheme of things? Obviously,
and I know we take for the comments that obviously
that any death is we want to avoid it.

Speaker 3 (03:52):
But where do we sit so if we compare it
to last year. For example, last year there were twenty
one death during the holiday period on our road, so
it's a significant improvement in that, but as you say,
it is looking at the families that are affected, we
still have a long way to go and it is
just a short period of time, so we need to

(04:14):
look at those long term trends as well. One year
and one holiday period seeing those improvements is really positive,
but we need to look at the long term trends
and how we continue to improve that to ensure we're
reducing the consequences and the impact that's had on families.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
Hey, thanks very much for your time. Caroline really appreciate
it that us Caroline Piri. She is development director at
break New Zealand. They are a national road safety charity
basically that works to prevent deaths and injuries on the
roads and also to support breathing and injured people and
crashes across New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
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