NT ranked worst for per capita road deaths in new national report

Territorians are more than twice as likely to die in a road accident than the average Australian, a new report has found. Here’s how one industry leader thinks we can turn that around.

The Territory has recorded by far the highest number of road deaths per capita over the last year, a new report has shown.

There were 10.39 fatalities per 100,000 people in the NT over the 12 months to June this year compared to 4.59 nationally, the latest Australian Automobile Association report reveals.

However the Territory is not alone in failing to meet National Road Safety Strategy targets of halving road deaths through the decade to 2030, which all Australian governments agreed to.

The report shows 1205 people died on Australian roads in the 12 months to June this year – a 3.2 per cent increase on the previous reporting period.

It also reveals no jurisdiction is on track to meet road toll reduction targets across all categories – drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley has called for an overhaul to the way the federal government funds road and transport projects, labelling the current situation “untenable”.

“Cars have never been safer and road funding never higher, and yet road fatalities are climbing,” he said.

“A new approach is needed, starting with national statistics to guide law enforcement, road investment and policy change.”

Mr Bradley said the commonwealth could “save lives” by making transport funding to states and territories conditional on greater transparency of state-held road safety data.

He said other NRSS targets, including reducing serious injuries by 30 per cent and eliminating all road deaths in city CBDs, could not be measured as the data was not available.

“In 2023, Australia is unable to adequately quantify the extent of road trauma or the effectiveness of interventions being deployed to reduce it,” Mr Bradley said.

“You can’t improve what you don’t measure and when it comes to road trauma, the Australian government is measuring very little.

“National statistics that describe serious injuries, road quality and the types of vehicles and road users involved in crashes would reveal valuable insights and guide law enforcement, road investment and policy change.”

Australian Automobile Association managing director Michael Bradley has called on the commonwealth to make road funding conditional on states and territories releasing better road safety data. Picture: supplied

The Territory’s ranking as the worst in Australia for per capita road deaths comes despite a better start to the year with a road toll of seven – 24 less than this time a year ago.

Three of the seven people killed this year were pedestrians.

The NT government’s Towards Zero strategy ended last year and in December, Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler along with all Australian infrastructure and transport ministers agreed to the National Road Safety Action Plan.

The plan has a goal of zero deaths or serious injuries on Australian roads by 2050.

Originally published as NT ranked worst for per capita road deaths in new national report