Something strange, tragic and quite unexpected is happening on Australia’s roads. After decades of declining deaths, the road toll is now rising again and has just hit its highest point in more than ten years. In the 12 months to June 30, 2024, 1173 people lost their lives on our roads.
Apart from Tasmania and the ACT, where deaths declined, all the other states and territories saw an increase, though in WA it was a negligible 0.6%, up from 175 to 176.
By far the worst was the Northern Territory, up by 107.7%; followed by NSW, up by 23%; Victoria 9.0%; South Australia 8.6%; and Queensland 8.4%.
It’s a disturbing trend that comes at a time when vehicles have never been safer. Today’s vehicles come loaded with a whole gamut of active and passive safety technology to prevent accidents happening in the first place and protect the occupants should the worst still happen.
Better data sharing
Experts are largely in the dark as to why this is happening, but they’ve been pointing out that some much-needed light could be shed on it with more effective data sharing between state and federal governments.
Managing director of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), Michael Bradley, believes a coordinated national response to road deaths data is needed.
“You can’t improve what you don’t measure, and when it comes to road trauma, the Australian Government is measuring very little,” he said.
“In 2023, Australia is unable to adequately quantify the extent of road trauma, or the effectiveness of interventions being deployed to reduce it.
“A new approach is needed, starting with national statistics to guide law enforcement, road investment, and policy change.”
The AAA argues that the Federal Government should exert some leverage on the states. It could do this by requiring them to provide relevant road safety data to the Commonwealth as a condition of receiving funding for land transport infrastructure projects.
So far only Queensland shares its data on car crashes, traffic policing and road conditions with the Federal Government.
Australia’s rising death toll seems to be an outlier among developed nations, with the United States, the UK, and the European Union all reporting falls in the number of fatalities in 2023.
Rising pedestrian deaths
One particularly alarming trend is the rise in pedestrian deaths. In the 12 months to the 31st of March 2023 they were up by 22.6%, but again, the reason for the increase remains a mystery.
Another disturbing statistic is the big gap between the city and regional areas, with people in regional areas approximately five times more likely to die in a crash than their city counterparts.
What’s causing that rising road toll at a time when cars keep getting safer is all a bit of a mystery, but one thing that is certain is that we all have a responsibility for safety on the roads. So, let’s be careful out there!