The system reveals that male drivers, especially young ones, dominate crash statistics, with twice as many males as females at fault or part-fault in injury crashes. Male and female teens top the scale in their respective gender categories, with 20 and 18 per cent. The ages of drivers at fault or part-fault track steadily down through the age-groups to drivers 70 and over, the lowest.
By far the biggest crash category was "losing control/head-on crashes on bends", 41 per cent of the 6844 crashes.
Poor observation figured in 30 per cent of crashes; poor handling, 26 per cent; speed (too fast), 18 per cent; road factors, 16 per cent; alcohol, 15 per cent; failing to give way or stop, and poor judgment, both 13 per cent; incorrect lane position, 12 per cent; vehicle factors and fatigue, both 5 per cent; failing to keep left and weather conditions, both 4 per cent; overtaking and driver disabled/elderly/ill, both 2 per cent; pedestrian factors, 1 per cent.
Forty-five per cent of crashes were on urban roads; 55 per cent on the open road. Cars/station wagons were by far the biggest vehicle group involved (1979); school buses the smallest (four). Sixty-three bicycles were involved in crashes.
Only 27 per cent of crashes occurred at the weekend, Friday had more crashes than any other day; the worst three-hour slot for crashes was 3-6pm; then noon-3pm and 9am-noon. Crashes were fairly evenly spread throughout the year, with January the worst month for injury crashes.
Mr Crayton-Brown said being able to get a five-year overview through the Crash Analysis System was especially valuable in Northland, with its recent dramatic drop in the road toll.
"If we were to work from information from 2010 and 2011 alone it would skew results, so it is much more useful to have such a wealth of information covering the past five years ..."
