Drowsy Driving classification & analysis of data

CURRENT POSITION

1 Crash categories not well defined and mean different things to different people eg; cause/ factors get mixed up.

2 Some crash category groupings are incorrect

3 As a result crashes end up in the wrong category. "Drowsy driving" crashes are often placed into the speed category.

FUTURE STRATEGIC DIRECTION
1 Define crash categories very clearly. 2 Review all crash categories (adopt overseas model) 3 Ensure all "drowsy driving" crashes are fully invest-igated, not lost in the system and classified incorrectly.

GENERAL COMMENTS
1 In general, this area is a "mess". Transit NZ studies appear to be of a much higher standard.

2 One only needs to look at more recent studies undertaken to see that there is serious underreporting in the official MOT statistics that many take as gospel.

3 For example;
SWATT 2010 campaign(ranked drowsy driving / inattention #1 ranked drowsy
JAFA (Hamilton study) ranked drowsy driving equal to speeding (17%);

Auckland University / Hospital study - 19% of Auckland crashes attributable to drowsy driving

NRC MEMBER RESPONSIBILITY.

Ministry of Transport