Safety research supporting Vision Zero Safety research supporting Vision Zero
At Auckland Transport (AT), we work towards a goal of zero deaths and serious injuries by using research, data and evidence that supports Vision Zero, the international benchmark for transport safety.
This ethics-based approach has been successful in other countries, having originated in Sweden, where roads are built to prioritise safety over speed or convenience. Also known as the Safe System approach, this model emphasises that road safety is the shared responsibility of transportation system designers and road users.
Vision Zero values everyone using the road, not just those in vehicles. It’s about caring for our more vulnerable road users, like children, the elderly, and people walking or cycling.
This page summarises and links to transport safety research we’ve conducted to better understand the views of Aucklanders so we can factor it into our decision-making.
Customer research
Three in 4 Auckland residents agree that when there is a known risk, action should be taken to make roads safer before a serious injury or death occurs. Almost 3 in 4 also agree that roads should be designed to minimise serious harm when a driver makes a mistake.
The percentage of Aucklanders who agree ‘If someone drinks and drives, they are likely to get caught’, increased from 45% in December 2023 to 55% in November 2024. To learn more, download:
- Attitudes to speed reductions 2024 (PDF, 423KB)
- Roading satisfaction monitoring road safety November 2024 (PDF, 490KB).
People travelling outside of vehicles
More than half of deaths and serious injuries in Auckland involve someone walking, cycling or motorcycling. This research uses Ministry of Health data on overnight hospitalisation to provide a more complete picture of road harm for people travelling outside of vehicles.
To learn more, download Safety of people travelling outside of vehicles (PDF, 2.67MB).
Pedestrian crossing improvements
In 2018 and 2019, we upgraded 37 existing pedestrian crossings to raised zebra crossings as part of a demonstration project. Evaluation of the project showed a reduction in serious and fatal crashes from 2.4 to 0.4 per year.
To learn more, see the article Auckland Transport’s mass action pedestrian improvement programme (opens in a new tab), published in the Journal of Road Safety.
General deterrence of drink-driving
Results from recent operations between New Zealand Police and AT show the effectiveness of general deterrence. We increased the perceived likelihood of getting caught with:
- random breath testing delivery
- enforcement-based communications
- marketing.
To learn more, download:
- Evaluation of Auckland general deterrence of drink-driving partnership operations (PDF, 1.1MB)
- Executive summary or evaluation of Auckland general deterrence of drink-driving partnership operations full report (PDF, 265KB).
Equity of road safety fines and penalties
New Zealand has an inequitable system of road safety fines and penalties. There are several potential ways to improve the equity of road safety fines and penalties. However, this is a complex problem and needs to be well considered.
To learn more, download Equity of road safety fines and penalties (PDF, 640KB).