Calls for new approach to road safety as Qld road deaths ‘well above’ national average

Queensland’s road deaths are “well above” the national average, according to a new report by the Australian Automobile Association, with calls for certain data to be released to initiate change.

The fatal crash scene at Bajool, near Rockhampton, which involved a B-double truck and an Army vehicle.

• Editor’s view: Focus funding to help cut road toll

Queensland’s road deaths are “well above” the national average, while Australia’s target of halving the road toll and eliminating fatalities involving children under seven are not on track to be met.

It has sparked calls for more data to be released on where fatal crashes are occurring and on the number of accidents resulting in serious injuries, not just deaths, so road safety funding can be better directed.

A new report to be released on Monday by the Australian Automobile Association will reveal the grim statistics.

It follows two high-profile road incidents on the Bruce Highway in the past week – including a multi-vehicle crash south of Rockhampton on Wednesday which saw a stretch of the road closed for about 24 hours.

Firey scenes of the Bruce Highway crash at Bajool last Wednesday. Picture: Contributed

There were 271 Queenslanders who lost their lives in traffic crashes in the 12 months to June 30, the report shows, down slightly from the previous 12 months when it was 292 deaths.

But there were 5.04 road deaths per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 4.5.

There were proportionally more road fatalities in Queensland compared to NSW (3.85 deaths per 100,000 people), Victoria (4.1 deaths per 100,000 people) and on par with South Australia.

Under the National Road Safety Strategy, agreed to by the states and Commonwealth, the nation has a goal of halving the number of road deaths by 2030.

According to the AAA quarterly report tracking the strategy aims to reduce the road toll from an average of 1142 to 571 fatalities in a year.

While the strategy has no specific target reductions for individual states and territories, Queensland’s road toll would need to be 55 deaths fewer in the past year if it was on track to meet its share of the target.

There would have been 64 fewer deaths on Queensland roads if the state’s fatality rate matched that of NSW.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley said the state and federal governments needed to release more data around road deaths if there was to be any hope of lowering the number of fatalities.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley. Picture: Supplied

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

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

He is calling for the release of data on the number of serious injuries from road crashes, not just fatalities, as well as deaths on city CBD streets as well as deaths on national highways and high-speed roads.

In February this year, the state and federal governments agreed to develop a National Road Safety Data Collection and Reporting Framework.

It was intended to build a national data set for road safety that provides insights into where serious injuries and deaths are occurring and their contributing factors.