Labor Day weekend highway toll: death toll on Kiwi roads surpasses 2019

Two people have died on New Zealand’s roads since Labor weekend began, topping last year’s death toll for the entire holiday period.

One person died after an accident near Gisborne overnight in an incident that took place on Whatatutu Rd, Te Karaka around 2 am.

And a motorcyclist died after a serious accident that took place around 5 p.m. on Main Rd North (State Highway 2), Timberlea, yesterday.

Only one person died during the Labor Day weekend holiday period last year, a motorcyclist, according to data from the Transportation Ministry.

The weekend period started at 4pm yesterday and will run until 6am Tuesday.

Police say investigations are ongoing in relation to the Te Karaka and Timberlea crashes.

This year’s highway toll

The highway toll for the entire year between January 1 and October 22 is 251, lower than last year when there were 271 deaths in the same period.

Drivers have died more than any other type of road user this year: 121.

The number of men who have died far exceeds the number of women killed on our roads: 183 compared to 68.

Meanwhile, the 60+ age group has had the highest number of deaths overall at 71.

During the 2018 work weekend, there were four fatal crashes and 130 reported injury crashes, resulting in five fatalities, 33 serious injuries and 155 minor injuries.

The five deaths were two drivers, two passengers, and a motorcyclist.

“More than half (53 percent) of the crashes occurred on urban roads,” says the ministry’s website on the 2018 crashes.

“Forty percent of the crashes were single-vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or went off the road, 28 percent were intersection crashes, 10 percent were rear-end crashes or crashes with obstructions , and 5 percent were head-on crashes over collisions. “

“The most commonly cited contributing factors for crashes during Labor weekend were poor road position (28 percent), losing control (22 percent), traveling too fast for conditions (21 percent), no yield or stop (20 percent) percent) and alcohol and drugs (14 percent). “

There is no record of injuries on Labor weekend 2019.