Australia's Road Fatalities Surge to a 12-Year Peak
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Synopsis
Recent statistics reveal that Australia's road death toll has reached a 12-year high, with 1,300 fatalities recorded in 2024. This alarming trend raises concerns about the effectiveness of national road safety strategies aimed at reducing fatalities by 2030.
Key Takeaways
- Australia's road death toll reaches 1,300 in 2024.
- 12-year high, surpassing targets set by the National Road Safety Strategy.
- AAA calls for urgent action to improve road safety.
- New South Wales maintains a steady death toll.
- November recorded the highest fatalities this year.
Canberra, Jan 28 (NationPress) The road death toll in Australia has soared to a staggering 12-year peak, as indicated by government statistics released on Tuesday.
A recent report from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) unveiled that there were 1,300 fatalities on Australian roads in 2024.
This figure represents an increase from 1,258 deaths in 2023 and marks the highest number since 2012, when the toll also reached 1,300, according to reports from Xinhua news agency, citing government data.
The alarming 12-year high follows a 10-year national strategy initiated by Australia's federal, state, and territory governments in 2021, aimed at halving road fatalities and reducing serious injuries by 30 percent.
The National Road Safety Strategy aims to progressively lower road deaths from the annual average of 1,142 recorded between 2018 and 2020 to below 571 by 2030.
The BITRE report indicated that the 2024 death toll was 127.7 percent above the target set for 2030.
In response to the findings, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) stated that the national strategy is "wildly off-track."
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley emphasized in a statement, "It is clear that current road safety measures are insufficient and that more decisive action is necessary to save lives."
Among the eight states and territories in Australia, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania reported fewer road deaths in 2024 compared to 2023.
In New South Wales, the most populous state, the death toll remained at 340 for both years, while Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory collectively saw an increase of 79 fatalities in 2024.
November emerged as the deadliest month on Australian roads in 2024, with 131 fatalities.
