This infographic has been created to show the road safety statistics in New Zealand from March 2014 to March 2015 and highlights the main causes of accidents on New Zealand's roads during that period. Using the latest statistics from the New Zealand Transport Agency, the figures show that tourist drivers make up a relatively small percentage of the total accidents on New Zealand's roads and that speed, drugs and alcohol are far more likely to lead to accidents on NZ's roads. GO Rentals is a car rentals company committed to keeping all drivers safe on NZ's roads and has a robust system in place for ensuring drivers are as prepared as possible before they head out onto NZ's roads. Relevant resources can be found at the end of the infographic which help both tourist and New Zealand resident drivers prepare for driving on NZ's roads. The infographic also includes information from the NZTA's international visitor report showing where tourists come from and how they travel around NZ.

1. New Zealand law when driving
Your trip may take longer than you expect
Allow extra time on New Zealand roads
Everyone wears
SEATBELTS
Keep
LEFT
MAXIMUM
speed
NO overtaking
on yellow lines
95%
of left hand drivers
found NZ roads safe
84%
of right hand drivers
found NZ roads safe
e Sources
NZRoadSafety
Main causes of accidents for NZ drivers
TOTAL NORTH SOUTH
NZ DRIVERS 99% 99% 97%
Drugs/Alcohol 10% 10% 11%
Fatigue 4% 4% 5%
Speed 13% 13% 13%
Road Rage 1% 1% 1%
Failing to 11% 11% 12%
keep left
TOTAL NORTH SOUTH
TOURISTS 1% 1% 3%
Drugs/Alcohol 3% 3% 4%
Fatigue 3% 3% 4%
Speed 18% 17% 19%
Road Rage 1% 1% 0%
Failing to 12% 11% 13%
keep left
Main causes of accidents for tourists
Speed is the biggest cause
of accidents for all drivers
(13% for NZ and 18% for tourists)
Tourists
account for 0.9%
of accidents
in the North
Island
232 Fatal Accidents
Main causes of
fatal accidents
for NZ drivers*
Speed 32%
Drugs/Alcohol 27%
Failing to
keep left
24%
Main causes of
fatal accidents
for Tourist drivers*
Failing to
keep left
50%
Speed 38%
Lost Control 25%
10 March 2014 to 9 March 2015
InternationalVisitorsNZTA International Visitors Research Report, March 2014
27,494 total
accidents in
New Zealand
358 (1%) of these
accidents involved
tourists
INSIGHT – 89% of tourist drivers felt safe whilst driving on NZ’s roads
How are visitors getting round NZ?
Who is renting a car in NZ?
INSIGHT – 58% of campervan drivers have no previous experience
Car
Bus
Campervan
68%
27%
18%
Most common modes of transport for visitors to NZ
Australians
Asians
USA and Canadians
UK and Irish
Germans
INSIGHT – 38% of German visitors who drive in NZ purchase a car rather than rent
Safety first!
Everyone in the car must wear a seatbelt at all times
How easy is it to navigate the roads in NZ?
How safe do tourist drivers feel on NZ roads?
Planning your journey
Australia
UK and Ireland
Asia
Germany
USA and Canada
other Europe
94%
92%
89%
79%
75%
73%
INSIGHT – 91% of left hand drivers found it easy to navigate the roads
compared to 76% of right hand drivers
Stay safe! Never overtake if there is a yellow line
in the middle of the road
Keeping left! Remember that we drive on the left in
New Zealand.
Ease of navigation by nationality
Expectations met for journey times by country
Country/Continent Shorter than expected About the time expected Longer than expected
UK and Ireland 6% 65% 24%
Australia 3% 73% 22%
Germany 15% 57% 23%
USA/Canada 3% 75% 19%
Asia 15% 62% 18%
Other Europe 10% 52% 35%
50%
planned
before arrival
in NZ
24%
longer
than
expected
Journey planning
40%
made up
plans on
the fly
10% made up plans
on arrival in NZ
Journey times vs expectations**
9%
shorter
than
expected
67% matched
expectations
INSIGHT – drivers from mainland Europe are the most likely to underestimate the
time taken to reach their destination (35%)
PLAN AHEAD – use the AA Route Planner for more accurate journey times
INSIGHT – a third of journeys did not meet the expected time
Don’t forget! e maximum speed limit on open roads
in NZ is 100 km/h – always follow the signs
(% of total)
(% of total)
67
165
2 fatal accidents
involved
tourists (1%)
6 fatal accidents
involved
tourists (9%)
Speed
Drugs/Alcohol
Failing to keep left
Fatigue
Tourists
Speed
Drugs/Alcohol
Failing to keep left
Fatigue
Tourists
32%
27%
25%
10%
3%
92%
90%
85%
82%
58%
Remember! It’s illegal to use a hand held mobile phone
whilst driving. Use a rest stop if you need to make a call.
e Road Safety Resources
Summary
New Zealand Transport Agency's Crash Analysis System Data
and their International Visitors Research Report. Working with
the NZ Police and Transport authorities, GO Rentals is working
hard to ensure we keep our drivers safe on the roads whether
you're a visitor from overseas or a New Zealand resident. Road
safety is at the heart of what we do and the resources featured
here will help to keep all drivers safe on New Zealand's roads.
e data used to represent tourist drivers in this infographic is
taken from the Crash Analysis System Data coding system and
relates to the following code:
404 – Overseas / migrant driver fails to adjust to NZ road rules
and road conditions -
http://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/crash-analysis-system-data/index.html
http://www.saferjourneys.govt.nz/assets/NZTA-International-Visitors-Report-Final.pdf
* ere can be multiple causes of a single accident e.g. speed and alcohol
** % of those respondents who provided an answer
http://www.gorentals.co.nz/travel-help/go-drive-safe/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWqbln4lIC0
http://www.drivesafe.org.nz/
http://www.drivingtests.co.nz/roadcode/tourist/
http://maps.aa.co.nz/#directions
Tourists
account for
2.8% of
accidents in the
South Island