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