A growing or shrinking economy has the closest correlation to the number of deaths on the road, according to data.
Transport expert Dr Urie Bezuidenhout says politicians and police are quick to celebrate a so-called success of a safety campaign or other policy - but the data doesn't support a direct link to a lower road toll.
And as police ramp up enforcement action under direction of the Government, Dr Bezuidenhout has also crunched some numbers that show the correlation to fewer deaths will be minimal.
It comes as the Government looks to lift speed limits in various parts of the country, and incentive road police to issue more tickets in order to unlock their departmental funding.
Urie Bezuidenhout is a transport planner and traffic engineer with consultancy firm DaVinci and a professor at Auckland University.
Photo: RNZ
