What NZ's road toll numbers say about how we drive

24 September 2026

Every year the road toll gets a headline or two, usually around the holidays. The Ministry of Transport publishes the figures behind those headlines in much more detail. Here is what the official numbers actually say, with the year each figure relates to.

The headline number

Provisionally, 270 people died on New Zealand roads during 2025, in 258 crashes ^[1]. That figure is still provisional and can change, for example if a death turns out to be a medical event, or if someone dies within 30 days of a crash ^[1].

The finalised count for 2024 was 292 deaths ^[3]. For 2024 the Ministry also records 2,461 people seriously injured and 10,977 people with minor injuries ^[5].

This year is not tracking as well. From 1 January to 27 September 2026 there were 236 road deaths, compared with 208 over the same period of 2025 ^[2].

The last ten years

Deaths have moved up and down rather than falling steadily. These are the Ministry's finalised figures ^[3], with serious injuries from its annual statistics ^[5]:

Deaths peaked at 378 in 2018 ^[3]. The 2024 figure of 292 was the lowest in that ten year run ^[3], and the provisional 2025 figure of 270 is lower again ^[1]. Serious injuries, though, have stayed well above 2,000 a year throughout ^[5]. For every person killed, several more are left with serious injuries.

What the government says is behind the crashes

The Ministry records the contributing factors police identify at each crash. These categories overlap, so one crash can count under several headings and you cannot add them together ^[4]. For 2024, deaths in crashes involving each factor were ^[4]:

• Driver alcohol and/or drugs: 143 deaths
• Speeding (too fast for the conditions): 72 deaths
• Trucks involved: 47 deaths
• Driver fatigue: 23 deaths
• Overseas drivers: 18 deaths
• Driver diverted attention (distraction): 14 deaths

Alcohol and drugs

Across 2022 to 2024, driver alcohol and/or drugs was a contributing factor in 446 of 889 fatal crashes, about half ^[6]. Drugs without alcohol featured in 205 of those fatal crashes, and alcohol without drugs in 148 ^[6].

The Ministry's own research table shows that a driver with 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood is about 16 times as likely to be in a fatal crash as the same driver with none ^[6].

One important caveat: in 2026 problems were found with how alcohol-related crashes are identified in the Crash Analysis System, and NZTA is reviewing and correcting the records. The Ministry says the overall picture is not expected to change materially, but individual figures may be revised, so treat the alcohol numbers with some care ^[6].

Speed

In 2024, 72 people died and 421 were seriously injured in crashes where speeding was a contributing factor ^[5]. Over 2022 to 2024, speeding was a factor in 30% of fatal crashes ^[5].

Speed and impairment often go together. Of the 889 fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024, 179 involved both alcohol/drugs and speed, and only 358 involved neither ^[5].

Seatbelts

The restraint figures are some of the starkest. For car and van drivers killed in 2022 to 2024 (where restraint use was known):

• 54% of speeding drivers were not wearing a seatbelt, compared with 34% of drivers whose crash did not involve speed ^[5]
• 58% of drivers affected by alcohol or drugs were not restrained, compared with 18% of drivers who were not affected ^[6]

Restraint use was not recorded for about 19% of drivers who died, so the real rate of seatbelt use may be lower than these figures suggest ^[5].

Distraction and fatigue

In 2024, 14 people died and 131 were seriously injured in crashes where diverted attention was a factor ^[7]. Fatigue was a factor in crashes that killed 23 people and seriously injured 115 ^[8]. The Ministry notes that both are hard to identify after a crash, so the real contribution is likely to be under-counted ^[7][8].

Who and where is over-represented

Open roads and 100 km/h roads

Of 867 fatal crashes classified by road type in 2022 to 2024, 596 happened on open roads rather than urban streets ^[5]. In 2025, 153 of the 270 provisional deaths were on roads with a 100 km/h limit ^[1]. Local roads accounted for 148 deaths and state highways for 122 ^[1].

Men

In 2025, 196 of the people killed were male and 74 were female ^[1].

Drivers and motorcyclists

Drivers made up 143 of the 270 deaths in 2025, passengers 54, motorcyclists 40, pedestrians 20 and cyclists 10 ^[1]. From 2022 to 2024, alcohol or drugs was a contributing factor for 53% of motorcyclists in fatal crashes, compared with 34% of car and van drivers ^[6].

Young and inexperienced drivers

People aged 15 to 30 made up 74 of the 2025 deaths, the largest of the Ministry's age groups ^[1]. In 2024, crashes where a young driver aged 15 to 24 was at fault killed 74 people ^[9].

Licence type matters too. Of drivers in fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024, 41% of learner drivers and 30% of restricted drivers were speeding, compared with 13% of full licence holders ^[5]. Disqualified drivers were also over-represented: 14 of the 41 disqualified drivers in fatal crashes were speeding ^[5].

Regions

Waikato recorded the most deaths in 2025, with 62, followed by Auckland with 38 and Canterbury with 32 ^[1].

What this means for everyday drivers

Strip away the percentages and a clear pattern is left. The crashes that kill people in New Zealand are most often on fast open roads, and very often involve a driver who was impaired, going too fast for the conditions, or not wearing a seatbelt, sometimes all three. Those are the same behaviours the demerit and penalty system targets.

If you have lost your licence, a limited licence may be an option in some situations, but only if the court accepts that not driving would cause extreme hardship to you or undue hardship to someone else, such as an employer or dependants ^[10]. It is not available for every disqualification. For example, you cannot apply if you were disqualified for driving while disqualified, for dangerous driving, or for repeat alcohol or drug offending ^[10]. NZ Limited Licence prepares limited licence application documents for eligible drivers. We do not represent anyone in court and cannot promise an outcome. Phone 0800 437 005.

Sources

1. Provisional road deaths (Annual road fatalities 2025), Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-road-deaths/sheet/provisional-road-deaths (accessed 27 September 2026)
2. Year to date road deaths, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-road-deaths/sheet/year-to-date-road-deaths (accessed 27 September 2026)
3. Death on NZ roads since 1921, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-road-deaths/sheet/death-on-nz-roads-since-1921 (accessed 27 September 2026)
4. Safety annual statistics: Summary (Headline statistics), Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/summary (accessed 27 September 2026)
5. Safety annual statistics: Speed, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/speed (accessed 27 September 2026)
6. Safety annual statistics: Alcohol and drugs, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/alcohol-and-drugs (accessed 27 September 2026)
7. Safety annual statistics: Diverted attention, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/diverted-attention (accessed 27 September 2026)
8. Safety annual statistics: Fatigue, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/fatigue (accessed 27 September 2026)
9. Safety annual statistics: Young drivers, Ministry of Transport, https://www.transport.govt.nz/statistics-and-insights/safety-annual-statistics/sheet/young-drivers (accessed 27 September 2026)
10. Get a limited licence, Ministry of Justice, https://www.justice.govt.nz/courts/criminal/get-a-limited-licence/ (accessed 27 September 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How many people died on New Zealand roads in 2025?

Provisionally, 270 people died in 258 crashes during 2025. The figure may still change as investigations are finalised.

Are road deaths going up or down?

The finalised 2024 total of 292 was the lowest in the ten years from 2015, and 2025 was provisionally lower at 270. However, 236 people had died between 1 January and 27 September 2026, compared with 208 over the same period of 2025.

What is the biggest factor in fatal crashes?

In the Ministry's 2022 to 2024 figures, driver alcohol and/or drugs was a contributing factor in about half of fatal crashes, and speeding in 30%. Many crashes involve more than one factor.

Does wearing a seatbelt really make a difference?

The official figures show drivers killed while speeding or impaired were far more likely to be unbelted than other drivers who died.