The highest road toll in 12-year

Federal and state transport ministers have been asleep at the wheel with another shocking increase in the road toll.

Noel O'Brien

1/28/20251 min read

This year’s national road toll exceed 1300 lives lost for the first time in 12 years. This is the fourth annual increase since Covid, when lockdowns and travel restrictions delivered the safest results on our roads, not effective road safety strategy.

Federal and state transport ministers still cling to the fallacy that they can halve the road toll by 2030. They’re overlooking the fact that the road toll continue to increase because of outdated road safety strategies and sanctions that are failing to change driver behavior.

The worst results have been in Double Demerit states, with tough sanctions and limited appeals, they’ve seen an 8% increase. Other states, with fairer systems have experience a 2% reduction.

Fines revenue continues to increase approaching $2.7-billion this year. Double Demerit states have increased fines revenue at twice the rate of other states. Drivers need to question if fines revenue is the main focus of state transport ministers?

Our road toll should be decreasing, with safer cars, better roads and lower speed limits all are proving ineffective. Road safety planning needs to introduce better technological and sanctions that tackle worsening driver behavior.

All transport ministers need to wake up to the reality that the current approach to keeping road users safe is not working. If they continue with ineffective strategies, along with the reality of less policing, the road toll will continue to increase, not decrease.

2024 Shocking Results

Double Demerit States - Increased 8% - NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and ACT.

New South Wales, increased 3%, failed to contain last year’s 23% increase. Slow to action key recommendations from February 2024 Road Safety Summit.

Queensland, increased 6%, exceed 300 lives lost, for the first time since 2009.

Western Australia, increased 19%, worst since 2016

ACT, increased 200% on low numbers, still our safest jurisdiction.

Non-Double Demerit States – Decrease 2% - Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, NT

Victoria, decreased 3%, failed to contain last year’s record 22% increase.

South Australia, decreased 24%

Tasmania, decreased 12%.

Northern Territory, increased 94% on low numbers, our most dangerous jurisdiction.