Kia ora Susan

This email acknowledges your below request for information made under the Official Information Act 1982.

Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate section of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for response. They will contact you if they require clarification of your request, more time to respond, or if your request has been transferred to another organisation to respond to. Unless more time is required, NZ Transport Agency will send a response to you within 20 working days of receiving your request – in this instance on or before 3 October 2025.

If you would like to discuss your request with NZ Transport Agency, please contact us by email at [NZTA request email].

Ngâ mihi

Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kôtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Connect with us on Social Media

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Yates <[FOI #32246 email]>
Sent: Friday, 5 September 2025 4:44 pm
To: Official Correspondence <[email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Safety of SMART Car

[You don't often get email from [FOI #32246 email]. Learn why this is important at https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,

Under the Official Information Act, I request the following information regarding the safety record of SMART cars on New Zealand roads.

For the purposes of this OIA, the definition regarding SMART car refers to all vehicles that have the following fully activated driver-assist technology that is unable to be turned off.
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA),
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC),
Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).

Covering the period of 1 December 2024 to 1 September 2025, I request the statistics of SMART vehicles that have been involved in accidents, either in percentages or ratios or some other comparison, in relation to self-controlled vehicles (please state which relationship you are using). As follows:

1. SMART vehicles that have been involved in an accident without another vehicle being involved:
a) with no injury or minor injury (non-hospitalisation)
b) with serious injury involving hospitalisation
c) with a fatal outcome

2. SMART Vehicles that have been involved in an accident with another vehicle being involved:
a) with no injury or minor injury (non-hospitalisation)
b) with serious injury involving hospitalisation
c) with a fatal outcome

3. Of the above percentage, ratio, or other comparison, how many SMART vehicles have had accidents due to: (e.g.potentially with head-on collisions or driving into the side ditch)
a) difficulties with crossing the mid line of a road on a two-way road (one lane each way) (LKA),
b) difficulties with crossing lanes on a multi-lane highway (LKA)
c) difficulties aligning appropriately to bends and corners (LKA)
d) difficulties aligning appropriately to one-way bridges (LKA)
e) being rear-ended by another vehicle (due to ACC and AEB override controls)

Yours faithfully,
Susan Yates

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[FOI #32246 email]

Is [NZTA request email] the wrong address for Official Information requests to New Zealand Transport Agency? If so, please contact us using this form:
https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:
https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA page.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

This message, together with any attachments, may contain information that is classified and/or subject to legal privilege. Any classification markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in any way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately by return email and then destroy the original message. This communication may be accessed or retained by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi for information assurance purposes.

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Kia ora Susan

 

Please find attached the response to your request of 5 September 2025 for
information under the Official Information Act 1982.

 

Ngā mihi

 

Ministerial Services
Te Waka Kōtuia | Engagement & Partnerships
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

[1]Connect with us on Social Media

 

[2][IMG]

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Susan Yates <[3][FOI #32246 email]>
Sent: Friday, 5 September 2025 4:44 pm
To: Official Correspondence <[4][email address]>
Subject: Official Information request - Safety of SMART Car

 

[You don't often get email from
[5][FOI #32246 email]. Learn why this is
important at [6]https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific... ]

 

Dear New Zealand Transport Agency,

 

Under the Official Information Act, I request the following information
regarding the safety record of SMART cars on New Zealand roads.

 

For the purposes of this OIA, the definition regarding SMART car refers to
all vehicles that have the following fully activated driver-assist
technology that is unable to be turned off.

Lane Keeping Assist (LKA),

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC),

Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB).

 

Covering the period of 1 December 2024 to 1 September 2025, I request the
statistics of SMART vehicles that have been involved in accidents, either
in percentages or ratios or some other comparison, in relation to
self-controlled vehicles (please state which relationship you are using).
As follows:

 

1.      SMART vehicles that have been involved in an accident without
another vehicle being involved:

a)      with no injury or minor injury (non-hospitalisation)

b)      with serious injury involving hospitalisation

c)      with a fatal outcome

 

2.      SMART Vehicles that have been involved in an accident with another
vehicle being involved:

a)      with no injury or minor injury (non-hospitalisation)

b)      with serious injury involving hospitalisation

c)      with a fatal outcome

 

3.      Of the above percentage, ratio, or other comparison, how many
SMART vehicles have had accidents due to:  (e.g.potentially with head-on
collisions or driving into the side ditch)

a)      difficulties with crossing the mid line of a road on a two-way
road (one lane each way) (LKA),

b)      difficulties with crossing lanes on a multi-lane highway (LKA)

c)      difficulties aligning appropriately to bends and corners (LKA)

d)      difficulties aligning appropriately to one-way bridges (LKA)

e)      being rear-ended by another vehicle (due to ACC and AEB override
controls)

 

Yours faithfully,

Susan Yates

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is an Official Information request made via the FYI website.

 

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:

[7][FOI #32246 email]

 

Is [8][NZTA request email] the wrong address for Official
Information requests to New Zealand Transport Agency? If so, please
contact us using this form:

[9]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

Disclaimer: This message and any reply that you make will be published on
the internet. Our privacy and copyright policies:

[10]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...

 

If you find this service useful as an Official Information officer, please
ask your web manager to link to us from your organisation's OIA or LGOIMA
page.

 

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

This message, together with any attachments, may contain information that
is classified and/or subject to legal privilege. Any classification
markings must be adhered to. If you are not the intended recipient, you
must not peruse, disclose, disseminate, copy or use the message in any
way. If you have received this message in error, please notify us
immediately by return email and then destroy the original message. This
communication may be accessed or retained by NZ Transport Agency Waka
Kotahi for information assurance purposes.

References

Visible links
1. https://www.nzta.govt.nz/contact-us/conn...
2. https://nzta.govt.nz/
3. mailto:[FOI #32246 email]
4. mailto:[email address]
5. mailto:[FOI #32246 email]
6. https://aka.ms/LearnAboutSenderIdentific...
7. mailto:[FOI #32246 email]
8. mailto:[NZTA request email]
9. https://fyi.org.nz/change_request/new?bo...
10. https://fyi.org.nz/help/officers

hide quoted sections