Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand 2011 - Ministry of Transport
Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand 2011 - Ministry of Transport
Motor Vehicle Crashes in New Zealand 2011 - Ministry of Transport
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Drivers<br />
130<br />
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES IN NEW ZEALAND <strong>2011</strong><br />
NOTES<br />
1. The data <strong>in</strong> this section are derived by match<strong>in</strong>g the<br />
M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> <strong>Transport</strong>’s Traffic Crash Reports with blood<br />
alcohol measurements taken as part <strong>of</strong> post mortem<br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ations for deceased drivers.<br />
2. In cases where the driver dies at some time after the<br />
crash, the blood alcohol level measured <strong>in</strong> a post<br />
mortem exam<strong>in</strong>ation may be different to that present at<br />
the time <strong>of</strong> the crash.<br />
SUMMARY<br />
1. Of the 183 drivers/riders who died <strong>in</strong> road crashes <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>2011</strong>, 138 (75 percent) were given a blood test to detect<br />
the presence <strong>of</strong> alcohol.<br />
2. Forty two drivers had a blood alcohol level above the<br />
legal limit. That is, 30 percent <strong>of</strong> those tested and at<br />
least 23 percent <strong>of</strong> the total number <strong>of</strong> dead drivers<br />
were above the legal limit.<br />
3. A number <strong>of</strong> those not tested may also have had a blood<br />
alcohol level above the legal limit, so the percentage <strong>of</strong><br />
dead drivers who were above the legal limit is likely to<br />
be higher than 23 percent. An estimate <strong>of</strong> the number <strong>of</strong><br />
untested drivers who may have been above the legal<br />
limit can be made by assum<strong>in</strong>g that the alcohol<br />
<strong>in</strong>volvement rate for untested drivers with ‘alcohol<br />
suspected’ is the same as that for the tested drivers with<br />
‘alcohol suspected’, and similarly for drivers with<br />
‘alcohol not suspected’. For <strong>2011</strong> this estimate gives a<br />
further six drivers likely to be above the legal limit.<br />
Hence, based on the above assumptions, and the<br />
available data, a likely estimate is that about 26 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> all dead drivers were above the legal blood alcohol<br />
limit.<br />
FIGURE 1: BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS OF FATALLY INJURED DRIVERS YEAR ENDED 31 DECEMBER <strong>2011</strong><br />
40<br />
30<br />
Blo o d alc o h o l lev els ar e av ailab le f o r 7 5% o f t h e 183<br />
d r iv er s k illed <strong>in</strong> r o ad c r ash es. 90 d r iv er s h ad a BA C o f<br />
30m g / 100m l o r less.<br />
20<br />
18<br />
10<br />
10<br />
0<br />
3<br />
4<br />
3<br />
2 3<br />
3<br />
1 1<br />
31- 50<br />
51- 80<br />
81- 100<br />
101- 120<br />
121- 150<br />
151- 200<br />
201- 250<br />
251- 300<br />
301- 350<br />
350+<br />
Blood alcohol (mg/100ml <strong>of</strong> blood)