Transport - Crashes during holidays 1990–2024

Motor vehicle crash: Any crash that occurs on a public road that is attributable directly or indirectly to a motor vehicle or its load. Crashes which do not occur on public roads are excluded e.g. tractor crashes on farms are not included. The data in this statistical statement includes only crashes that involve a motor vehicle. A crash between a cyclist and a pedestrian, for example, would not be included.

Death and Serious Injury crashes: Where a crash has at least one person who has sustained either a serious injury or a fatal injury. The crash can include people who have no injuries or minor injuries but the crash itself is defined by the most severe injury that has occurred.
Minor injuries: Injuries that do not require medical attention such as superficial cuts and bruises.

HOLIDAY PERIODS
The Christmas - New Year holiday period is that which begins in December of the year stated. The length of the official holiday period varies depending on where the statutory holidays fall in relation to the weekend.
The Easter holiday covers the period from 4.00 pm on the Thursday to 6.00 am on the Tuesday.
Sovereign's Birthday (Queen's Birthday until 2022 and King's Birthday from 2023 onwards) and Labour Weekend cover the periods from 4pm on the Friday to 6am on the Tuesday.

Starting in 2022, Matariki holiday covers the period from 4pm on the Thursday to 6am on the Monday.

In some cases, road or motor vehicle deaths are not included in the official road toll. They include deaths that do not occur on a public road or a road to which the public has access (eg race track or farm paddock), deaths that did not result from injuries sustained in the crash (eg. when the coroner determines that a driver died from a heart attack), suicide or murder, or deaths on the road where a motor vehicle was not involved, except in instances where only a pedal cyclist was involved (e.g. pedestrian only crash). These definitions are in line with the most common international definitions. Although these deaths are excluded from the official road toll, a record of the crash details is kept.

1. Click on Data Tool button
2. Navigate to Crash and Injury data tab
3. Adjust date range to full range
4. Values to include; all variables.
   In primary category select Road types. In Secondary category select either Region, Territorial Authority, Holidays, Weekends/Weekdays and download respectively by clicking on download data button for each combination.
   Repeat for Weekdays/Weekend combined with Region, Territorial Authority.
   Repeat for Holidays combined with Region, Territorial Authority
   Also tick “Remove Secondary category” to download national “Road type” data on its own. Repeat for Weekdays/Weekend, Holidays, Region and Territorial Authority respectively.
5. Assemble each downloads into individual tables in one Excel file.