1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: New data on road safety programs. Road fatalities are at 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,360 Speaker 1: a historic twenty five year low, which is the good news. 3 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,399 Speaker 1: Since the year two thousand, they're down thirty six percent 4 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,719 Speaker 1: the number of deaths on our roads. Now the number 5 00:00:11,720 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: of youth road fatalities down by fifty five percent. That's 6 00:00:16,160 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: even better news. But for the first time it is 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:22,440 Speaker 1: older New Zealanders who have the highest fatality rate on 8 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: our roads. Maria Lovelock is the general manager for New 9 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: Zealand at Road Safety Education. She's with us him Maria here, Hi, Ryan, 10 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,160 Speaker 1: what age are we talking here? 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 2: So with what we're talking you talk about the older 12 00:00:38,440 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 2: age group. Yeah, that's yeah. So that was sort of 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 2: looking at it can combine that's across Australia and New 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 2: Zealand and so that was very targeted that eighty five percent. 15 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 2: We noticed there was a real trend where with the 16 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 2: licensed drivers in that age group. And obviously as you 17 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 2: get older you have to go through a lot more 18 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,680 Speaker 2: testing from seventy five, but the ones that still have 19 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: there since they definitely there was a spike there that 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: we found quite interesting. You know, according to the population drivers, 21 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 2: so they might it's not so obvious when you look 22 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 2: at the overalls road staffs, so seventy you know, when 23 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 2: you're looking at the New Zealand rates of sort of 24 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: older drivers, which you know they count perhaps say ten 25 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 2: percent of the total from seventy six to one hundred. 26 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 2: But then you sort of beg into by license holder 27 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:28,080 Speaker 2: and that it's a really spiked. 28 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: Right do you know why? I mean, is it that 29 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 1: you've got a lot of older people behind the world 30 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:35,319 Speaker 1: maybe having a medical event and crashing because of that, 31 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: or is it that they're having accidents for other reasons. 32 00:01:39,080 --> 00:01:41,960 Speaker 2: It's probably a range of all those regions. So I mean, 33 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 2: this is why you get that sort of testing. And 34 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 2: at the older age group. You know, from seventy five, 35 00:01:47,160 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 2: you know your cognis cognition things start happening, your eyesight 36 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 2: gets poorer, your reactions times aren't necessarily as quick as 37 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,120 Speaker 2: when you're younger. But also your ability to survive a 38 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,000 Speaker 2: crash is not as great, so you're your body isn't, 39 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: as you know, able to bounce back so to speak 40 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 2: when you're when you're in a crash, So you know 41 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:08,400 Speaker 2: that's why they sort of coming through. 42 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 1: Do we do anything You mentioned that you've been comparing 43 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 1: with Australia. Do we do anything differently to them when 44 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: it comes to older drivers. 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 2: To older drivers. I was just talking to my colleague 46 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:20,160 Speaker 2: and Australia about this. Actually we caught the interview and 47 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,160 Speaker 2: it seems very similar. It's the same sort of thing 48 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 2: where you do in cognition test and maybe going on 49 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:29,919 Speaker 2: and doing a driver since you driver training. So so 50 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,280 Speaker 2: in New Zealand you go and get your medical but 51 00:02:32,320 --> 00:02:37,000 Speaker 2: then you will benefit. The doctor thinks, oh maybe you'll 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 2: have to go and do it and base it, your 53 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 2: refit your driver license and test again and so and 54 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 2: that happens sort of every two years from once you 55 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 2: tune eighty, not that you have to set your test again, 56 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: but you have to go and get checked. And I 57 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,760 Speaker 2: think it's similar. I haven't dug straight into exactly what 58 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 2: they do, but it is similar and it's a similar 59 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: trend that we're seeing across both country. 60 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: Interesting. Maria, thank you very much for that. Great to 61 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,280 Speaker 1: have you on the show. Maria Lovelock, general manager in 62 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,680 Speaker 1: ZED at Road Safety Education. For more from Heather Duplessy 63 00:03:06,680 --> 00:03:09,519 Speaker 1: Allen Drive, listen live to News Talk zed B from 64 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.