Young drivers CRASH FACTSHEET November 2013 CRASH STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2012 Prepared by the Ministry of Transport In 2012 young drivers aged 15 24 were involved in 73 fatal traffic, 549 serious injury and 2,626 minor injury. Of these, the 15 24 year-old drivers had the primary responsibility 1 in 55 of the fatal, 436 of the serious injury and 2,044 of the minor injury. These resulted in 68 deaths, 567 serious injuries and 2,830 minor injuries. 2 The total social cost of the in which 15 24 year-old drivers had the primary responsibility was $755 million. This is 24 percent of the social cost associated with all injury. The graph below (from the New Zealand Household Travel Survey 3 ) shows that male drivers in the 15 19 year age group are approximately nine times more likely to crash (per 100 million kilometres driven) than male drivers in the lowest risk age group of 55 59 years. Female drivers aged 15 19 have a lower crash risk than males of the same age, but are still seven times more likely to crash (per 100 million kilometres driven) than female drivers in the lowest risk group of 45 49 year-olds. Drivers in the 20 24 year-old age group are approximately three to four times more likely to crash than the lowest risk group of the same gender. Number of drivers involved in fatal or injury per 100 million km driven (bars) and per 10 000 licence holders (lines), by age and gender (2007 2012) Drivers involved in fatal/injury per 100 million km driven (bars) 250 200 150 100 50 0 Female Male Female Male Age group (years) 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Drivers involved in fatal or injury per 10 000 licence holders - annual average (lines) 1 The determination of primary responsibility for a crash is based on the crash movements and crash cause factors assigned in the Crash Analysis System. It is not based on legal liability or court conviction. 2 Definitions for fatal, serious and minor injuries and social cost are given in Terminology at the end of the fact sheet. 3 www.transport.govt.nz/research/travelsurvey/
As the graphs below illustrate, young drivers tend to be over-represented in all types of crash. Recent figures show that 15 19 year-old drivers make up just 5 percent of all licensed car drivers 4. Yet, between 2010 and 2012, 15 19 year-old drivers accounted for 12 percent of all drivers involved in minor injury, 11 percent of drivers in serious injury, and 9 percent of drivers involved in fatal. Similarly, 20 24 year-old drivers make up approximately 9 percent of licensed car drivers but, between 2010 and 2012, they accounted for 15 percent of drivers involved in minor injury, 14 percent of drivers in serious injury, and 14 percent of drivers involved in fatal. Of all young drivers (15 24 years old) involved in fatal between 2010 and 2012, 78 percent were male. Males accounted for 69 percent of young drivers involved in serious injury and 61 percent of those involved in minor injury over the same period. Young drivers as a proportion of all crash involved drivers (2010 2012) Minor Crash severity Serious Fatal 0% 5% 10% 15% Percentage 20 24 years 15 19 years Percentage of all fatal that involve young drivers (2010 2012) Age group (years) 15 19 years 20 24 years Urban Open road 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% Percentage of fatal Note: This graph includes drivers of all types of motorised vehicle, including motorcycles. A high proportion of fatal involving young drivers (15 24 years old) occur on the open road. This is due to the typically high speeds on these roads, which results in a higher impact speed if a crash occurs. Thirty-two percent of all fatal involve a driver between the ages of 15 and 24. 4 The car licence population consists of drivers with full, restricted or learner car licences. (Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand, 2012)
Time series Year Number % of all drivers in fatal Drivers involved in fatal and injury 15 19 year-old drivers 20 24 year-old drivers Fatal Injury Fatal Injury Number % of all Number % of all Number drivers drivers in injury in fatal % of all drivers in injury 1990 128 13.8% 3157 16.6% 207 22.3% 3641 19.2% 1991 115 13.9% 2947 16.2% 174 21.1% 3382 18.5% 1992 97 12.0% 2667 15.3% 160 19.8% 3381 19.3% 1993 95 12.5% 2501 15.1% 143 18.8% 3010 18.2% 1994 76 10.3% 2786 15.4% 135 18.3% 3287 18.2% 1995 86 11.0% 2768 14.9% 130 16.6% 3466 18.6% 1996 94 14.0% 2302 14.5% 100 14.9% 2693 17.0% 1997 81 11.3% 2149 14.9% 95 13.3% 2229 15.5% 1998 75 10.9% 1922 14.5% 105 15.2% 1979 15.0% 1999 74 10.6% 1776 13.8% 99 14.2% 1767 13.8% 2000 60 10.0% 1541 13.4% 73 12.2% 1669 14.5% 2001 68 11.4% 1814 13.8% 75 12.6% 1814 13.8% 2002 50 9.1% 2299 14.8% 64 11.6% 2095 13.5% 2003 77 12.4% 2301 14.2% 75 12.1% 2316 14.2% 2004 81 13.8% 2345 14.7% 71 12.1% 2209 13.9% 2005 84 15.7% 2490 14.9% 70 13.1% 2372 14.2% 2006 64 11.7% 2630 15.2% 65 11.9% 2468 14.3% 2007 65 11.6% 2837 15.2% 74 13.2% 2630 14.1% 2008 67 14.2% 2549 14.2% 70 14.8% 2535 14.2% 2009 59 11.6% 2366 13.9% 66 13.0% 2486 14.6% 2010 61 12.1% 2091 12.8% 68 13.5% 2369 14.5% 2011 32 8.3% 1573 10.6% 54 14.0% 2135 14.4% 2012 23 5.7% 1354 9.5% 53 13.2% 2079 14.6% Note: This table includes drivers of all types of motorised vehicle, including motorcycles. In August 2011 the age for obtaining a driver licence increased from 15 to 16. Vehicle type and gender of young drivers involved in fatal 15 19 year-old drivers 20 24 year-old drivers Car/van Motorcycle Car/van Motorcycle Year Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total Male Female Total 1990 75 24 99 27 0 27 111 34 145 47 0 47 1991 67 26 93 20 0 20 105 35 140 22 2 24 1992 58 17 75 17 2 19 97 20 117 29 1 30 1993 68 10 78 15 0 15 84 22 106 27 1 28 1994 51 13 64 8 0 8 86 24 110 14 0 14 1995 52 20 72 11 1 12 82 18 100 24 3 27 1996 60 20 80 13 0 13 67 15 82 10 0 10 1997 46 23 69 8 0 8 48 23 71 13 0 13 1998 54 16 70 2 0 2 63 20 83 14 0 14 1999 47 22 69 3 0 3 58 27 85 4 0 4 2000 38 17 55 3 0 3 55 11 66 4 0 4 2001 50 11 61 7 0 7 57 11 68 5 0 5 2002 32 12 44 5 0 5 41 16 57 3 0 3 2003 58 14 72 3 0 3 52 18 70 2 0 2 2004 58 18 76 3 1 4 45 16 61 5 0 5 2005 56 17 73 8 0 8 48 12 60 2 0 2 2006 39 20 59 3 0 3 38 18 56 6 0 6 2007 40 21 61 4 0 4 45 18 63 6 0 6 2008 42 15 57 7 0 7 44 14 58 5 4 9 2009 39 16 55 3 0 3 40 19 59 3 0 3 2010 44 12 56 3 0 3 36 21 57 9 0 9 2011 27 5 32 0 0 0 38 10 48 4 0 4 2012 17 4 21 1 0 1 34 11 45 5 0 5
Vehicle type for young drivers involved in fatal 160 15 19 year old drivers involved in fatal by vehicle type (1985 2012) Fatal 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 Car/Van Motorcycle Since 1985 there has been an 82 percent reduction in the number of 15 19 year-old car drivers involved in fatal, and a 97 percent reduction in the number of motorcycle riders in the same age group. Year 180 160 20 24 year old drivers involved in fatal by vehicle type (1985 2012) 140 120 Car/Van Motorcycle Fatal 100 80 60 40 20 0 Since 1985 there has been a 69 percent reduction in the number of 20 24 year-old car drivers involved in fatal, and an 89 percent reduction in the number of motorcycle riders in the same age group involved in fatal Most of that drop occurred prior to 2000. Year
Who dies? People in the 15 24 year-old age group are most likely to die in fatal in which young drivers of a similar age have the primary responsibility. Between 2010 and 2012, approximately 72 percent of the passengers who died in vehicles driven by young at-fault drivers were in the 15 24 year-old age group. Deaths in where 15 24 year-old drivers were at fault 5 (2010 2012) Age At-fault drivers At-fault drivers passengers Other road users 0 14 0 10 2 15 19 50 43 0 20 24 78 26 10 25 29 0 8 4 30 34 0 0 3 35 39 0 3 2 40 44 0 1 5 45 49 0 0 4 50 54 0 0 5 55 59 0 1 1 60+ 0 1 16 Unknown 0 3 0 Total 128 96 52 Note: The table includes drivers of all types of motorised vehicle, including motorcycles. When do young driver occur? Young drivers tend to be disproportionately represented in fatal at night. For example, between 2010 and 2012, over 50 percent of fatal occurring on Friday and Saturday nights involved a young driver, whereas only 26 percent of daytime fatal involved a young driver. Day Fatal involving 15 24 year-old drivers by time of day and day of week (2010 2012) Day (0600 1759) Evening (1800 2159) Night (2200 0559) Fatal involving young drivers % all fatal Fatal involving young drivers % all fatal Fatal involving young drivers % all fatal Monday 15 23% 5 38% 2 17% Tuesday 19 24% 6 38% 6 27% Wednesday 13 20% 4 24% 11 42% Thursday 16 24% 7 29% 12 55% Friday 20 28% 12 33% 23 56% Saturday 25 32% 8 29% 34 52% Sunday 24 33% 5 25% 7 41% Total 132 26% 47 31% 95 46% Note: On the day shown, night begins at 2200 and finishes the following day at 0559. 5 At-fault drivers are those with the primary responsibility for the crash.
Types of crash Driver contribution to fatal (2008 2012), by age group 15 24 year olds 25 + years old Lost control Too fast for conditions Alcohol Inexperience Inattention or attention diverted Driver tired or fell asleep Failed to keep left Too far left Showing off Failed to give way Alcohol/drugs, losing control and speed are the major contributing factors for young drivers involved in fatal. Young drivers are more than twice as likely to have speed or alcohol as a factor than drivers over the age of 25. Did not see other party Overtaking Suddenly braked or turned Misjudged speed, distance etc Illness/Disability Forbidden movement 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Percentage of drivers Crashes which involve drivers losing control of their vehicles (Lost control/off road on the graph below) are a major feature in involving young drivers. Thirty-six percent of 15 24 year-old drivers involved in fatal were in single-vehicle loss of control or run off road, compared with 23 percent for older drivers. In addition, many of the head-on also involve drivers losing control of their vehicles. Percentage of drivers involved in fatal by crash movement type (2010 2012) Overtaking or lane change Head on Lost control / off road Collision with obstruction or rear end Intersection or turning Pedestrian 15 24 years 25 years and over Other 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Percentage of drivers
Licence status of young drivers in fatal The pie graphs below show the licence status of 15 24 year-old drivers involved in fatal. Restricted and learner licence holders make up a large proportion of these drivers. A similar pattern occurs for 15 24 year-old drivers involved in injury. This reflects the high number of learner and restricted licence holders in this age group. Licence status of 15 19 year old drivers involved in fatal (2010 2012) Overseas, 5% Disqualified / Forbidden, 3% Full, 31% Never licensed, 15% Learner, 12% Unknown / other, 4% Restricted, 30% Licence status of 20 24 year old drivers involved in fatal (2010 2012) Overseas, 8% Disqualified / Forbidden, 7% Never licensed, 2% Full, 41% Unknown / other, 9% Learner, 10% Restricted, 23% Note: Unknown/other includes drivers with an expired, unknown or wrong licence class.
Terminology Fatal injuries: injuries that result in death within 30 days of the crash. Serious injuries: fractures, concussions, internal injuries, crushings, severe cuts and lacerations, severe general shock necessitating medical treatment and any other injury involving removal to and detention in hospital. Minor injuries: injuries of a minor nature such as sprains and bruises. Social cost: a measure of the total cost of road to the nation. It includes: loss of life and life quality; loss of productivity; and medical, legal, court, and property damage costs. Additional Information For further information on crash statistics see Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand, the annual statistical statement produced by the Ministry of Transport. This publication is online at www.transport.govt.nz. Enquires relating to crash statistics may be directed to the Ministry of Transport, PO Box 3175, Wellington, or by email at info@transport.govt.nz. For more information about road safety, visit the Ministry of Transport website at www.transport.govt.nz. A selection of fact sheets is available via the research section of the Ministry of Transport website. These include: Crash facts: Travel survey: Alcohol and drugs Comparing travel modes Cyclists Driver travel Diverted attention Risk on the road Fatigue o Introduction and mode comparison Motorcyclists o Drivers and their passengers Pedestrians o Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists Speed Walking Trucks Cycling Young drivers Motorcycling Disclaimer All reasonable endeavours are made to ensure the accuracy of the information in this report. However, the information is provided without warranties of any kind including accuracy, completeness, timeliness or fitness for any particular purpose. The Ministry of Transport excludes liability for any loss, damage or expense, direct or indirect, and however caused, whether through negligence or otherwise, resulting from any person or organisation's use of, or reliance on, the information provided in this report. The information in this report is made freely available to the public and may be used subject to these terms.