ROAD SAFETY
1982
ATTITUDES &
Act
BEHAVIOURS Information
Official
the
under
1 ‒ ©
© Ipsos | NZ
N TA
T
A Waka
ak K
a  ot
K ahi Publ
P
ic Sent
S
iment Moni
M
tor
or M
A ar
pr  ‘24
Released

Agreement with safety statements
1982
After a significant decrease in agreement with drink driving is never acceptable last month, this month agreement has
significantly increased, back to levels previously seen
T3B
Act
(Strongly +
slightly +
agree)
Drink-driving is never acceptable
2%
2%6%
17%
70%
93%
Wearing seatbelts reduces serious injury & death
G
2%4%
9%
23%
61%
93%
reen
/ r
Not wearing a seatbelt is never acceptable
ed
2%6% 5%
24%
60%
89%
is s
Information
It is never acceptable to use a hand-held mobile phone / text while
ig.

4% 7%
11%
26%
49%
86%
hi
driving
gher
The higher the speed you are travelling, the more likely it is that
/ l
3% 8%
10%
26%
50%
86%
ow
someone will be injured / killed
er

The higher the speed you are travelling, the greater the chance of
than
3% 5% 7%
11%
27%
44%
83%
having a crash
Official
the
pr
Enforcing the speed limit helps to reduce road deaths
ev
5% 6%
9%
18%
30%
29%
77%
ious
the
w
Exceeding the speed limit is never acceptable
av
3% 8%
14%
13%
17%
24%
22%
62%
e
Safety cameras are effective for reducing the number of people
5%
9%
8%
11%
19%
29%
17%
65%
driving over the speed limit
The safety features of your car would stop you from being injured in a
under 8% 14% 11% 15%
22%
20%
8%
51%
crash
Unsure
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree
Strongly agree
2 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
Base: Monthly; Total sample (Apr ’24: n=501)
SS1: Do you agree or disagree with these statements?
Released

Agreement with safety statements
1982
As with agreement with drink driving is never acceptable, agreement with enforcement related statements have
significantly increased this month, including agreement that if someone uses hand-held mobile phones or drinks and
T3B
Act
drives they will get caught.
(Strongly +
slightly +
agree)
It is acceptable to drive at 5 km/h over the speed limit
5%
10%
9%
17%
20%
27%
10%
58%
G
reen
It is acceptable to drive a 10 km/h over the speed limit 1%
21%
21%
13%
15%
14%
10% 5%
29%
is sig. hi
I feel unsafe when the driver exceeds 10 km/h over the limit
4% 11%
10%
19%
14%
25%
16%
55%
gher
Information
and
People who do not stop at red lights are likely to get a ticket
6%
15%
13%
12%
15%
22%
16%
53%
Re
d
is
People who do not wear seatbelts are likely to get a ticket
s
6%
14%
16%
11%
15%
19%
18%
51%
ig.
l
ow
People who use hand-held mobiles / text while driving are likely to get
er
9%
15%
13%
12%
13%
19%
18%
t
Official
a ticket
50%
han
the
If someone drinks & drives, they are likely to get caught
4%
14%
17%
13%
19%
17%
14%
51%
pr
ev
the
ious
If someone drives while impaired by drugs, they are likely to get caught
6%
18%
19%
12%
13%
16%
13%
43%
w
av
e
It is acceptable to drive after 1–2 alcoholic drinks
19%
16%
11%
16%
18%
16%
4%
37%
under
People driving over the speed limit are likely to get a ticket
4% 11%
14%
13%
22%
20%
15%
57%
Unsure
Strongly disagree
Disagree
Slightly disagree
Neutral
Slightly agree
Agree
Strongly agree
3 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
Base: Monthly; Total sample (Apr ‘24: n=501)
SS1: Do you agree or disagree with these statements?
Released

Agreement with safety statements over time
1982
As with agreement with drink driving is never acceptable, agreement with enforcement related statements have significantly
increased this month, including agreement that if someone uses hand-held mobile phones or drinks and drives they will get
Act
caught.
Agreement over time
Drink driving is never acceptable
92%
93%
92%
93%
92%
88%
88%
89%
89%
Not wearing a seatbelt is never acceptable
88%
86%
87%
87%
85%
86%
The higher the speed you are travelling, the more likely it is that someone will be
Information
injured / kil ed
78%
79%
76%
Enforcing the speed limit helps to reduce road deaths
75%
77%
62%
63%
58%
59%
62%
The safety features of your car would stop you from being injured in a crash
58%
57%
60%
57%
54%
56%
Official
56%
53%
55%
It is acceptable to drive at 5 km/h over the speed limit
53%
51%
51%
53%
50%
51%
47%
51%
I feel unsafe as a passenger when the driver exceeds 10 km/h over the speed limit
44%
51%
the
People who do not wear seatbelts are likely to get a ticket
39%
36%
38%
35%
37%
If someone drinks & drives, they are likely to get caught
under
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
It is acceptable to drive after 1–2 alcoholic drinks
Base: Monthly; Total sample: (Apr ‘24: n=501, Mar ‘24: n=500, Feb ‘24: n=500, Jan ‘24: n=505, Dec ‘23: n=1,002)
4 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
SS1: Do you agree or disagree with these statements?
Note: T3B (strongly + slightly + agree) shown.
Released

Agreement with safety statements over time
1982
Agreement remains stable with the majority of statements remains stable. Agreement that people using a mobile phone /
texting while driving will get caught has stabilised after a significant decrease last month. Act
Agreement over time
93%
94%
95%
Wearing seatbelts reduces serious injury & death
91%
93%
89%
89%
86%
86%
It is never acceptable to use a hand-held mobile phone / text while driving
86%
80%
84%
82%
82%
83%
The higher the speed you are travelling, the greater the chance of having a crash
69%
Information
67%
63%
67%
65%
61%
Exceeding the speed limit is never acceptable
59%
62%
59%
60%
60%
60%
62%
56%
58%
57%
Safety cameras are effective for reducing the number of people driving over the
57%
53%
53%
56%
51%
53%
speed limit
It is acceptable to drive at 10 km/h over the speed limit
44%
50%
Official
45%
45%
44%
43%
39%
People who do not stop at red traffic lights are likely to get a ticket
29%
30%
29%
People who use mobile phones / text while driving are likely to get a ticket
the
26%
25%
If someone drives while impaired by drugs they are likely to get caught
People driving over the speed limit are likely to get a ticket
under
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
5 ‒
Base: Monthly; Total sample (Mar ‘24: n=500, Feb ‘24: n=500, Jan ‘24: n=505, Dec ‘23: n=1,002)
© Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
SS1: Do you agree or disagree with these statements? Note: T3B (strongly + slightly + agree) shown.
Released

Support for initiatives
1982
Support for initiative remains stable, with no significant changes seen this month.
Act
T2B
Support
Lowering speed limits around schools* 2%5%
15%
43%
36%
78%
G
reen
is s
More safety cameras to discourage drivers from exceeding speed limits
5% 10%
23%
35%
27%
62%
ig.
hi
gher
Information
and
Requiring additional safety features / higher car safety ratings**
3%8%
24%
41%
22%
63%
Re
d
is
s
ig.
30 km/h speed limits in urban centres
10%
17%
21%
30%
20%
50%
l
ow
er
t
Official
han
Compulsory roadside testing for drug use
t
5% 10%
18%
36%
29%
65%
he
pr
ev
the
ious
Greater police presence 3% 8%
19%
38%
32%
70%
w
av
e
More wire rope median barriers
3% 7%
18%
39%
31%
70%
under
Unsure
Strongly oppose
Oppose
Neutral
Support
Strongly support
Base: Monthly; Total sample (Apr ‘24: n=501)
6 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
IS1: How much do you support / oppose the following initiatives to help reduce the number of road deaths and serious injuries? / IS2: How much do
you support or oppose the following initiatives to help reduce the number of road deaths and serious injuries?
*Note: Statement added Jan ‘24. **Note: “which could make them more expensive” removed from statement Jan ‘24.
Released

Support for initiatives
1982
Support for initiatives continue to be positive. Support for requiring additional safety features has continued to decrease since
the statement was changed, while support for roadside testing for drug use has increased steadily since February
Act
Support over time
G
More wire rope median barriers on rural roads
reen
is
82%
s
i
80%
g.
Greater police presence to catch people breaking road safety
hi
77%
78%
gher
laws
Information
and
72%
72%
Re
69%
73%
71%
70% 70%
Compulsory roadside testing of drivers for drug use
69%
d
68%
67%
is
66%
s
64%
66%
i
66%
65%
g.
l
61%
ow
61%
63%
62%
30km/h speed limits in urban centres
er
64%
65%
61%
t
Official
63%
han
58%
Requiring additional safety features or higher star safety ratings**
the
50%
50%
pr
ev
48%
49%
the
47%
ious
More safety cameras to discourage drivers from exceeding
w
av
47%
speed limits
e
Lowering speed limits around schools in order to improve road
safety*
under
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
Base: Monthly; Total sample (Apr ‘24: n=501, Mar ‘24: n=500, Feb ‘24: n=500, Jan ‘24: n=505, Dec ‘23: n=1,002)
7 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
IS1: How much do you support / oppose the following initiatives to help reduce the number of road deaths & serious injuries? / IS2: How much do you support
/ oppose the following initiatives to help reduce the number of road deaths & serious injuries?
Note: T2B (strongly + support) shown. *Note: Statement added Jan ‘24. **Note: “which could make them more expensive” removed from statement Jan ‘24.
Released

Star safety ratings
1982
Safety ratings continues to be considered quite important to car owners, with over three quarters agreeing it is either very /
quite important
Act
Importance of car safety ratings
Very important
G
40%
39%
37%
reen
43%
40%
38%
40%
Quite important
is
Information
sig. higher
Neutral
than
the
pr
37%
ev
Official
39%
37%
42%
40%
39%
Not that important
ious
38%
w
av
e
the
Not at al important
17%
14%
17%
15%
12%
15%
14%
4%
4%
4%
3%
Don't know
4%
6%
4%
under
Oct '23
Nov '23
Dec '23
Jan '24
Feb '24
Mar '24
Apr '24
8 ‒ © Ipsos | NZTA Waka Kotahi Public Sentiment Monitor Apr ‘24
Base: Monthly; Car owners (Apr ’24: n=458, Mar ‘24: n=449, Feb ‘24: n=446, Jan ‘24: n=472, Dec ‘23: n=886, Nov ‘23: n=907, Oct ‘23: n=915)
TO4: How important is it to you that your car has a high star safety rating?
Released

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