Safer cars & Record deaths

The majority of vehicles are now 4-5 star ANCAP rated, and provide the highest level of occupant protection and safety assist in an emergency. Despite the bigger ever fleet of safer vehicles more people are losing their lives on our roads.

As the uptake of safer vehicles increases, our road toll has increased by 20% since 2020, from 1097 to 1306 last year. Transport ministers have failed to contain these increases. National Road Safety Strategies repeatedly fail, the latest is unachievable.

A big factor is driver preference for heavier SUV’s, UTEs and 4X4’s, these can be twice the weight of a standard sedan. Drivers feel safer in higher and heavier vehicles. With speed they can cause higher levels of trauma and more lives lost in crashes, slamming into other vehicles, trees or poles.

The key to safer roads is driver behavior, more responsible drivers, less aggression, competitiveness and everybody obeying the road rules. It sounds like nirvana but driver behavior is causing hell on our roads.

Police Highway Patrol Commissioners are continually reporting worsening driver behavior. It won’t be fixed quickly, because of a shortage of thousands of police, which translated into a reduction in road policing. Electronic enforcement is not the answer, as drivers can predict camera locations with GPS.

Federal and state transport minister can reverse the decline in driver behavior with better sanctions and incentives for good driving. This is happening overseas, our transport ministers appear too focused pursuing failed strategies and fines revenue.

With the Easter and Anzac extended break just days ahead drivers need to be aware of the worsening situation on our roads and aim to improve their driving to protect their loved ones.

Reference -

This youtube clip identifies some alarming driver behavior... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GR1aSukxZc

* Easter 2024 recorded 23-lives lost a 15-year record.

* April 2025, already 33- lives have been lost pre-Easter.

* Australia’s fatality rate is increasing at 4.8-people per 100-k population its now twice safer countries.