Average US$3.75mn ‘social cost’ of each New Zealand road death

The average social cost of each New Zealand road accident death is $3.75 million (NZD 4.54 million), according to an estimation by the New Zealand ministry of transport (MOT) The New Zealand MOT also estimates that the average cost of serious injuries due to road accidents is $392,989 (NZD 473,600) per person. The social costs include financial and non-financial costs of accidents such as property damage, medical and legal expenses as well as loss of quality of life. The number of road accidents in New Ze
January 16, 2014 Read time: 1 min
The average social cost of each New Zealand road accident death is US$3.75 million (NZD 4.54 million), according to an estimation by the New Zealand ministry of transport (MOT).

The New Zealand MOT also estimates that the average cost of serious injuries due to road accidents is $392,989 (NZD 473,600) per person. The social costs include financial and non-financial costs of accidents such as property damage, medical and legal expenses as well as loss of quality of life.

The number of road accidents in New Zealand has declined from 308 in 2012 to 254 in 2013. It is estimated that one person died every 28 hours in a New Zealand road accident in 2012, with total social costs of road accidents during that year reaching $3.18 billion (NZD 3.84 billion).
Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • US$153 million road upgrade underway in New Zealand
    April 15, 2024
    A US$153 million road upgrade project is now underway in New Zealand.
    Read More
  • London’s congestion charge is saving lives, a study suggests
    March 9, 2015
    Traffic accidents in the UK capital London have declined 40% since the introduction of a congestion charge in 2003, according to a new study. The number of accidents per million miles driven in the congestion zone fell to 2.6 accidents per million miles from an average of 12.4 before the introduction of the charge. Researchers at Lancaster University also found a similar fall in the number of people seriously injured or killed. As well, accident rates fell in adjacent areas as a result of fewer motorists dr
    Read More
  • IAM welcomes drop in UK road deaths, but concerned over drink-drive casualties
    August 2, 2013
    The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), Britain’s largest independent road safety charity, has welcomed new UK Department for Transport (DfT) road casualty figures showing a fall in the amount of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents. The DfT reports there were 1, 680 people killed in the year ending March 2013, 10% reduction from 1, 870 in the year ending March 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured also fell to 23, 660, a 6% decrease.
    Read More
  • Better road safety reduces Europe’s casualty figures
    April 1, 2014
    Improving road safety in the EU has resulted in a drop in the fatality rate. Official figures just released show that the number of people killed on Europe's roads fell by 8% in 2013. This follows on from the drop in fatalities of between 2011 and 2012. These provisional figures released by the European Commission provide grounds for optimism and Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) said, “We welcome the reduction in the number of road deaths in Europe last yea
    Read More

Highlighted Content