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Update: 17 People Killed Over Xmas-New Year Period
Update: 17 People Killed Over Xmas-New Year Holiday
Period
UPDATE 10:10 am: A male Japanese tourist who was seriously injured in a vehicle crash at Mt Cook National Park yesterday has died overnight. This now takes the holiday road toll to 17.
EARLIER: Provisional figures show 16 people were killed in 14 crashes over the 2007/08 Christmas-New Year holiday road toll period. This compares to nine people killed on the roads in the 2006/07 holiday period and 22 people killed over the same period in 2005/06.
The 2007/08 holiday period officially began at 4pm on Monday 24 December and ended at 6am today, 3 January.
Fourteen of the 16 deaths occurred on the open road. The deaths included six drivers, four passengers, two motorcyclists, two pedestrians, a tractor driver and a horse rider.
Provisional crash reports indicate speed and alcohol were major contributing factors in 10 of the 16 deaths.
Of the ten vehicle occupants killed, two were not restrained at the time of the crash.
Historical
| Year | Deaths | Injuries | |
| 1980 / 81 | 32 | 481 | |
| 1981 / 82 | 35 | 602 | |
| 1982 / 83 | 18 | 473 | |
| 1983 / 84 | 17 | 523 | |
| 1984 / 85 | 13 | 439 | |
| 1985 / 86 | 25 | 532 | |
| 1986 / 87 | 31 | 554 | |
| 1987 / 88 | 22 | 544 | The lowest Xmas holiday period road toll on record occurred during 1959/60 when 8 deaths were recorded. 9 deaths were recorded in 1966/67. The earliest year for which records for holiday periods are available is 1956/57. |
| 1988 / 89 | 16 | 594 | |
| 1989 / 90 | 19 | 596 | |
| 1990 / 91 | 18 | 487 | |
| 1991 / 92 | 17 | 537 | |
| 1992 / 93 | 29 | 528 | |
| 1993 / 94 | 17 | 372 | |
| 1994 / 95 | 19 | 542 | |
| 1995 / 96 | 26 | 598 | |
| 1996 / 97 | 14 | 432 | |
| 1997 / 98 | 26 | 387 | |
| 1998 / 99 | 24 | 391 | |
| 1999 / 00 | 17 | 398 | |
| 2000 / 01 | 20 | 409 | |
| 2001 / 02 | 21 | 417 | |
| 2002 / 03 | 17 | 323 | |
| 2003 / 04 | 13 | 408 | |
| 2004 / 05 | 11 | 513 | |
| 2005 / 06 | 22 | 488 | |
| 2006 / 07 | 9 | 442 | |
| 2007 / 08 | 17 | - |
ENDS
Gordon Campbell: On Why We Can’t Survive Two More Years Of This
Peace Action Ōtautahi: Bridge Of Remembrance Peace Protest
National Wetland Trust: Public Asked To Help Prevent Fires In Wetlands This Summer
Lillian Hanly, RNZ: The Year In Politics - Stories That Dominated The Headlines In 2024
Waikato Regional Council: Studies Open Door To Mercury Islands Underwater World
Office of the Privacy Commissioner: Christmas Is About Giving, But Don’t Give Up Your Privacy
The Rail Advocacy Collective: Chris Trotter - Running Us Off The Rails
