Vehicle safety

Vehicles play a major role in keeping us safe on our roads. 

A vehicle’s ability to prevent a crash or protect its occupants is key to reducing the numbers of deaths and injuries on our roads. The design of the vehicle, its structural integrity and its safety features can lessen the risk to its occupants if a crash occurs, and in some cases, prevent a crash occurring.

Key facts about vehicle safety:

  • You are more than twice as likely to be seriously or fatally injured in a crash in a 1-star than in a 5-star vehicle.
  • 41% of New Zealand’s light vehicles have 1 and 2-star safety ratings. That’s approximately 1.65 million vehicles, out of 4 million in the fleet.