Indicators at a glance - Transport

• In 2017, there were about 4.2 million vehicles in New Zealand – the highest number ever.
• New Zealand has one of the highest car ownership rates in the world. In 2017, there were 792 light vehicles per 1,000 people in New Zealand. 

• In 2013, 82% of commuters used a car, truck or van as their main mode of transport to work on Census day. 
• About 9.7% of commuters used active transport (walking, jogging or cycling). A further 5.7% of commuters used public transport.
• There has been no change in the combined use of active or public transport to work from 2001 (15.4%) to 2013 (15.4%).
• Wellington and Nelson regions have the highest use of active and public transport to work. 

• In 2011–14, New Zealanders spent 79% of their travel time in motor vehicles (cars, vans or motorcycles). About 15% of travel time was spent walking or cycling. A further 4% was spent on public transport.
• There has been little change over time in the proportion of time spent on different transport modes.
• Active transport was used most in the Otago, Gisborne, Wellington and Nelson/Marlborough/Tasman regions.
• Public transport was used the most in Wellington, Auckland and Southland. 

• The percentage of children walking to school dropped from 42% in 1989/90 to 29% in 2010–14.  For cycling, the percentage dropped from 12% in 1989/90 to 2% in 2010–14.  
• In 2017/18, less than half (43.2%) of children aged 5–14 years used active transport (such as walking and cycling) to and from school.
• There has been no significant change in the use of active transport among 5-14-year-olds in over 10 years, from 2006/07 to 2017/18.
• Children in Northland, Wairarapa and Tairāwhiti District Health Boards (DHBs) had a lower use of active transport to school in 2014-17 than the national rate. 

• In 2016/17, 2.6% of children and 3.2% of adults had a medical problem but did not visit a GP due to a lack of transport, in the past 12 months.
• There has been little change in these rates since 2011/12.  
• There were higher rates of this unmet need in Māori (7.5% of adults and 4.8% of children), Pacific (7.8% of adults and 4.5% of children) and people living in high deprivation areas (4.8% of children and 7.2% of adults).
• Rates of unmet GP need due to a lack of transport were higher in Hawke's Bay, Hutt and Counties Manukau DHBs in 2011–14. 

• The number of road traffic injury deaths increased from 2013 (253 deaths) to 2017 (379 deaths). 
• Motorcyclists were at a higher risk of traffic injury deaths and hospitalisations per time spent travelling.
• Males, young people aged 15–24 years, Māori, and people living in more deprived areas generally had higher rates of traffic injury deaths and hospitalisations.
• West Coast, Tairawhiti and South Canterbury DHBs had the highest mortality rates for traffic injury in 2009-2014. In 2016, the highest hospitalisation rates for traffic injuries were in Northland and Tairawhiti DHBs. 
• The number of traffic injury deaths for children aged 0-14 years decreased from 2007 (30 deaths) to 2014 (13 deaths).  

Road transport was estimated to be responsible for 650 deaths in New Zealand in 2012. 
These deaths included:
- 308 deaths due to traffic crashes
- 218 deaths due to particulate matter (PM10)
- 65 deaths due to nitrogen dioxide exposure
- 59 deaths due to noise pollution.