Cost of home injuries dwarfs road injury costs

File photos.

Accidental injuries and deaths at home cost New Zealanders three and a half times more than road injuries, a new report says.

The research, by the University of Otago in Wellington, found the social cost of injury in the home cost about $13 billion a year, while estimates by the Ministry of Transport put road injury costs at $3.84 billion.

"This is a significant and disturbing burden on New Zealanders. These new findings based on robust analysis should give us all pause for thought," researcher Michael Keall from the Department of Public Health said.

But, the large difference could mostly be attributed to the large number of minor home injuries - thousands more than on the road - and it did not necessarily mean three and a half times more money should be spent on preventing home injuries, he said.

"Home injuries arise from many different causes and reflect the vast range of activities undertaken in the home. Preventing home injuries is more complicated than preventing road injury."

About 250 people die in their homes from unintentional injuries annually.

The study was published in the international journal Accident Analysis and Prevention.

- NZPA