Christmas pudding, champagne, presents and injuries – the data shows the festive season in Aotearoa is a peak time for injuries and ACC is encouraging all Kiwis to slow down and stay injury free.

From 21 December to 10 January in 2019/20 there were 103,248 ACC claims for injuries which came at a cost of over $100m to help people recover.

In the Bay of Plenty, there were 8445 injuries during this period, with New Year’s Day (490) the highest single day for accident claims. 

This was a decrease in the number of claims in the summer of the 2018/ 19 in the Bay of Plenty, with the 8990 claims the highest from the past five summers.

The population of New Zealand is transient during this period with Kiwis all over the country heading to summer hotspots for their holidays.

Auckland (31,875) had the highest number of accidents claims ahead of the Waikato (11,935), Canterbury (11,483), Bay of Plenty (8445) and Wellington (8103). 

Kirsten Malpas, ACC Injury Prevention Leader, says the holiday season can be a stressful period and encouraged people to slow down. 

“We want people to have an enjoyable, happy, fun and safe Christmas and New Year’s break,” she says.

“That means being kind to yourself and others and staying safe so you can enjoy the summer break and not miss out on the fun.

“Last year around 4000 people injured themselves on Christmas Day.”

The home was the most common location for injuries during the holiday period, with 59,967 injuries during this period and falls made up 40 percent of those injuries.

Almost 15,000 injuries during this time involved a lifting or carrying strain, more than 4000 involved steps and stairs and almost 7000 were animal related.

It is also a time where people get stuck into DIY and tidying up around home. There were 4798 gardening-related injuries last festive season and 2046 DIY related injuries. 

The most common injury was a lumbar sprain (10,163) ahead of a neck sprain (4425) and ankle sprain (4376).

“Most injuries over this time reflect what people are doing, for a lot of us we’re relaxing with friends and whānau, spending time at the beach or trying out a new bike we’ve got for Christmas.”

There were 16,576 sports related injuries in this time period. Water-related injuries (2413), cycling (2302) and fitness training/gym (1584) were the leading sports injuries in this period.   

“If you’ve got a new bike or e-bike for Christmas and you haven’t ridden in a while, try out the bike in a safe environment – somewhere with minimal traffic, such as a school playground or a quiet street, where you can hone your skills and get used to it before you go on a busier road.

“Likewise, if you’ve got a new mountain bike, easy into some lower grade trails before you tackle the harder trails.”

Malpas stressed the importance of safety messages in and around the water.

Drowning is the leading cause of death in recreational activities in Aotearoa. There were 82 drowning fatalities last year, an increase of 26 per cent from the 66 in 2018.

“If you’re around the water, keep a close eye on your tamariki. Young children need to be supervised and kept within arm’s reach, particularly around moving water where things can happen quickly. If you’re at the beach, swim between the flags.

“Most injuries can be prevented by simply slowing down, stopping to assess the risks, and pacing yourself.”

BY THE NUMBERS - Festive Holiday Season (21 December – 10 January) Injuries 2019 / 20

•   •  103,248 ACC claims for injuries which came at a cost of over $100m to help people recover

•   •  New Year’s Day (5614) had the highest number of injuries during this period ahead of New Year’s Eve (5128), Boxing Day and Christmas Eve (4291) and Christmas Day (3847).

•   •  The highest day for cost of injury for claims last summer was New Year’s Eve ($5.2m) ahead of Christmas Eve ($5m), Boxing Day ($4.9m), New Year’s Day ($4.8m) and Christmas Day ($4m).

•   •  During this period, Auckland (31,875) had the highest number of accidents claims ahead of the Waikato (11,935), Canterbury (11,483), Bay of Plenty (8445) and Wellington (8,103).

•   •  Injuries at home consisted of 59,967 claims during this period and falls made up 40 percent of those injuries.

•   •  There were 16,576 sports related injuries in time period with waterrelated injuries (2413), cycling (2302) and fitness training/gym (1584) the leading sports.

•   •  For more information on Injury Prevention visit: www.acc.co.nz