The latest data on road fatalities in Australia reveals a troubling trend, prompting renewed calls from the nation’s motoring groups for urgent action to address the escalating crisis.
Recent government statistics indicate a concerning increase in road deaths, with a total of 1286 lives lost in the 12 months ending on February 29, 2024. This marks a significant uptick of 9.9 percent compared to the previous year.
In February alone, 110 fatalities were recorded, reflecting a staggering 25 percent rise from February 2023, further exacerbating the growing concern following January’s toll of 97 deaths. Since the beginning of 2024, there have been 207 road fatalities reported, representing a worrisome surge of 7.3 percent compared to the same period in 2023.
Notably, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory have all witnessed increases in their respective road tolls.
Of particular concern is New South Wales, where the road death toll has skyrocketed by 55 percent for the current calendar year, reaching 62 fatalities, or a 39.7 percent increase to 373 deaths when comparing the 12-month periods.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA), representing the state-based motoring clubs, has intensified its call for government action, urging the Federal Government to fulfill its election commitment.
Before the last federal election, the shadow transport minister, Catherine King, pledged to enhance the timeliness and quality of road safety data. The AAA is now urging the Government to leverage its substantial $10 billion annual road safety budget to access comprehensive crash data collected by states and territories.
This data would encompass critical information ranging from crash statistics to contributing factors such as driver behavior, weather conditions, and road quality.
The AAA advocates for the inclusion of data-sharing requirements in the new National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects, which is currently being negotiated. The AAA’s proposal, supported by a broad coalition of MPs, seeks to align state and territory funding allocations with their provision of crash data.
AAA managing director Michael Bradley emphasizes the importance of data transparency in identifying effective road safety measures and targeting interventions where they are most urgently needed.
By shedding light on the efficacy of existing road safety measures and identifying areas for improvement, enhanced data sharing has the potential to save lives and steer road funding toward initiatives that will yield the greatest impact.
