13 April 2006

Easter weekend – road crash statistical summary

The official 2006 Easter holiday period will begin at 1600 today (Thursday 13 April) and end at 0600 Tuesday 18 April.

There were six fatal crashes and 136 reported injury crashes resulting in nine deaths, 41 serious injuries and 168 minor injuries over the Easter weekend in 2005.

The nine deaths included four car drivers, four car passengers and one motorcycle rider. About 60% of the injury crashes and all six fatal crashes last Easter weekend occurred on the open road.

The most common factors contributing to crashes last Easter were drivers losing control (35%) and travelling too fast for the conditions (34%). Other contributing factors were inattention (18%), failing to give way (13%), alcohol (12%) and fatigue (9%). As most crashes have more than one contributing factor these figures total more than 100%.

Historical since 1980

Year Deaths Injuries
1980 15 213
1981 5 248
1982 13 240
1983 11 285
1984 15 258
1985 9 291
1986 15 254
1987 19 254
1988 12 283
1989 16 214
1990 17 237
1991 12 238
1992 12 185
1993 11 165
1994 10 228
1995 9 192
1996 7 229
1997 6 218
1998 3 176
1999 7 145
2000 6 134
2001 4 161
2002 3 214
2003 3 190
2004 4 170
2005 9 209

The Easter tolls for 2003, 2002 and 1998 are the lowest on record since 1956, when figures for holiday periods were first recorded. The highest recorded number killed on an Easter weekend is 21, recorded in 1971.

ENDS

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