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Road crashes

Figure 6 (below) shows the increase in crash risk associated with different levels of BAC for drivers involved in fatal crashes at night-time. The level of risk increases rapidly as the BAC level increases. Younger drivers show higher levels of risk at each BAC level.

Figure 6: Relative risk of fatal crashes by blood alcohol content (BAC) level

Size of the current problem

Alcohol and drugs are one of the major contributing factors to road related trauma. According to the New Zealand Crash Analysis System (CAS), in 2007 driver consumption of alcohol or drugs was a contributing factor in 117 fatal traffic crashes, 402 serious injury crashes and 1,182 minor injury crashes. These crashes resulted in 128 deaths, 559 serious injuries and 1,777 minor injuries. The social cost is estimated at $838 million, approximately one fifth of the social cost associated with all traffic related injury crashes.

For the three year period, 2005-2007, driver alcohol or drugs was a contributing factor in 31 percent of fatal crashes (26 percent were recorded as having alcohol only) and 14 percent of injury crashes. Drivers, their passengers and other road users (for example drivers/passengers in other vehicles or pedestrians or cyclists) were among those injured or killed in these crashes. For every 100 drunk or drugged drivers or riders killed in traffic crashes, 54 of their passengers are killed and 42 sober road users die with them.

Crash involvement over time

Figures 7 and 8 show the trends in numbers and proportion of alcohol and or drug involved drivers in fatal and injury crashes over a 13 year period from 1995–2007. Between 1995 and 2002, there has been a decrease in both the numbers and proportion of involvement. However, in recent years, 2003 onwards, there are indications that the involvement of drivers who had consumed alcohol/drugs in crashes is on the rise or settling around a slightly higher level than the early 2000 period. This data suggests that progress in reducing crashes involving alcohol/drugs in recent years has stopped.

Figure 7: Number and proportion of fatal crashes over time with driver alcohol or drugs as a contributing factor

Figure 8: The number and proportion of injury crashes over time with driver alcohol or drugs as a contributing factor

Demographics

The involvement of drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs in fatal crashes occurs within drivers of all ages (see Figure 9 below). However, in terms of the proportion of drivers with the same age group, youth and young adults (aged up to 25 in particular, but also up to age 35) have much higher levels of alcohol/drug involvement.

In the crash statistics, the involvement of drivers affected by alcohol in fatal crashes is largely a male problem. For example:

over 83 percent of the alcohol/drug affected drivers in fatal crashes are male
the proportion of drivers affected by alcohol in fatal crashes is higher for males (21 percent) than females (14 percent)
there were on average 87 male drivers and 17 female drivers affected by alcohol/drugs in fatal crashes each year between 2005 and 2007.

These differences still exist when age and vehicle type is taken into account.

Figure 9: Affected drivers by age group

Regional variations

Table 1 (below) shows some regional variations in crash statistics involving alcohol. On average, 14 percent of crashes nationally involve alcohol as a contributing factor. The three regions topping the national average were:

Gisborne (21 percent)
Northland (20 percent)
Bay of Plenty (19 percent)

The rates in the South Island (9-14 percent) were generally lower than the national average.

Table 1: Regional crash statistics for 2005-2007

Crashes involving alcohol

Region	Annual crashes	% of crashes
Northland	106	20%
Auckland	467	15%
Waikato	187	15%
Bay of Plenty	105	19%
Gisborne	24	21%
Hawkes Bay	75	15%
Taranaki	42	14%
Manawatu/ Wanganui	84	13%
Wellington	110	11%
Nelson/ Marlborough	41	12%
West Coast	16	14%
Canterbury	175	12%
Otago	84	9%
Southland	46	10%
National		14%

Other drinking and driving prevalence information

There are a number of national surveys that attempt to estimate the involvement of alcohol and other drugs while driving. Each of these surveys uses different methodologies and have different limitations associated with them, but as a whole they provide an indication of the level of driving involvement while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs.

The New Zealand public attitudes to road safety survey found that 23 percent of those surveyed in 2007 indicated that they had driven slightly intoxicated at least once over the last 12 months. Roadside alcohol measurement surveys (conducted periodically in New Zealand) found that of the 24,135 drivers surveyed in 2006, 0.9 percent recorded a BAC level that was over the legal limit. The 2004 alcohol use survey estimated that 21 percent of those surveyed reported doing at least some of their driving under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months.