Road traffic injury deaths and hospitalisations

This section presents statistics on road traffic injury deaths and hospitalisations, by mode of transport. 

Please note that mortality data releases have been delayed because data on external causes of death is not yet complete enough. The latest road transport injury mortality report uses data to the end of 2020. For more information on the Mortality Data Collection, visit the Te Whatu Ora website. 

Road transport injuries have a large health impact

Traffic-related deaths and injuries are the main health impact of road transport in Aotearoa New Zealand [1]. The New Zealand Burden of Disease Study found that transport injuries made up about 33% of overall health loss due to all injuries in New Zealand in 2006 [2]. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are more vulnerable road users, as they tend to suffer more severe injuries from collisions. 

Transport injuries are among the top ten leading causes of health loss in children aged 0–14 years in 2013 [2]. Children are at special risk of traffic-related injury due to differences in physical development, awareness and judgement, when compared with adults [3].

Transport injury and mortality rates are higher for some groups

Road traffic injury hospitalisation and mortality rates are highest for males, Māori, people aged 15–24 and 85+ years, and people living in more deprived areas. In terms of time and distance spent traveling, motorcyclists have a much greater risk of injury and death than other transport modes. 

For more details, view the surveillance reports for transport injury hospitalisations and transport injury mortality linked at the top of this page.

Road traffic injury mortality

Sources: 

• New Zealand road toll, Ministry of Transport
• New Zealand Mortality Collection, Health New Zealand–Te Whatu Ora
• New Zealand Household Travel Survey, Ministry of Transport. 

Definition: The number and rate of road traffic injury hospitalisations, by mode of transport.  ‘All traffic injuries’ includes occupant injury (injury of driver or passenger of three or four-wheeled motor vehicles), motorcyclist injury, pedestrian injury, cyclist injury, other injury and unspecified injury.

For more information about this indicator, see our metadata sheet. For more information on the annual road toll, visit the Ministry of Transport's webpage on the Road toll.

Road traffic injury hospitalisations

Source:

• National Minimum Dataset (NMDS), Health New Zealand–Te Whatu Ora

Definition: The number and rate of road traffic injury hospitalisations, by mode of transport.  ‘All traffic injuries’ includes occupant injury (injury of driver or passenger of three or four-wheeled motor vehicles), motorcyclist injury, pedestrian injury, cyclist injury, other injury and unspecified injury.

For more information, see the metadata sheets in the download box.