Fatal crashes explode, thousands injured: Lethal Bruce Hwy’s grim report card

Fatal crashes on the problem-plagued Bruce Highway have increased by more than 60 per cent since 2019, and almost 5000 people have been injured along the deadly stretch over five years.

Fatal crashes on the problem-plagued Bruce Highway have soared by more than 60 per cent since 2019 and almost 5000 people were injured along the lethal stretch over five years.

Shock new data from Transport and Main Roads, obtained exclusively by The Courier-Mail, shows 31 people were killed in 29 crashes along the Bruce Highway last year – an increase of nine deaths since 2019.

Those lives lost make up about 11 per cent of all road fatalities in the state.

In the last five years, a shocking 17 people have died along the stretch of highway near Townsville – making it the most deadly area in Queensland.

An aerial photo shows the devastating scene in which at least three people have died in a five vehicle crash on the Bruce Highway near Maryborough in March 2024. Photo: Michael O'Connor

The Bruce Highway around Mackay has claimed 16 lives, 12 on the Fraser Coast, and 11 lives at each stretch in Moreton, Cassowary Coast and Bundaberg regions.

While the number of fatal crashes have ebbed and flowed over the last five years, there has been a shocking 61 per cent increase on the Bruce Highway since 2019.

So far this year, at least nine people have been killed in six crashes on the highway.

Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO Russell White said road deaths on long stretches of highway usually came down to speed and attitude.

But Mr White said the Bruce Highway also had an element of road design which wasn’t suitable for current road traffic needs.

“But let’s not overlook the simple things – when you look at some of the horrific footage of crashes on the Bruce you can see so many cars that are just veering off the roads,” Mr White said.

“That tells me we’re dealing with distraction or fatigue. To prevent road trauma on these long stretches, it’s more than just about speed; it’s about driving smart and being aware of your surroundings.

The scene of a horror crash on the Bruce Highway at Tinana.

“Looking at the Bruce Highway, there is likely an element of road design not suitable for current road traffic needs but we can’t just throw our hands up and say there’s nothing the rest of us can do to mitigate the risk.”

Between January 2018 and June 2023, almost 5000 people were injured in non-fatal crashes on the Bruce Highway in Queensland.

In 2022, about 900 people were injured in 600 crashes across the state.

Of those, 485 people were hospitalised, 255 treated by paramedics, and 161 left with minor injuries.

The stretch of highway in the Moreton Bay Region was most prone to crashes with 137 non-fatal incidents in 2022 – an increase of 25 crashes since 2018.

Mackay Region recorded 70 crashes the same year, closely followed by Sunshine Coast Region (58), Townsville (49), and Rockhampton (42).

Mr White said a serious shake-up of attitudes on the road was needed to save the lives of motorists.

“We can’t just focus on the road itself; we need to focus on the people using it.

“People are taking more risks because there seems to be little respect for the road and a blanket complacency for the consequence of choice.

“It’s a cultural shift that concerns me greatly.

“The strategies we’ve relied on in the past, well, they’re not delivering the expected results anymore. We need to recognise that the game has changed and adapt accordingly.”

University of Sunshine Coast Professor Paul Salmon has done extensive research into the systemic factors behind road deaths in Queensland.

Photos from RACQ Capricorn Rescue from the Bororen crash on the Bruce Highway on December 20, 2023.

He says what a person is dealing with off the road impacts their behaviour on the roads.

“Societal issues – alcohol and drug issues, time-poor lifestyles, social media use, work pressures – we’ve found these area lot of factors that are driving driver engagement in fatal five behaviours,” Prof Salmon said.

“A lot of the typical interventions are to manage the issue when it appears on the road. But that’s not really dealing with the underlying causes of why they are doing that in the first place.

“We need to connect road safety with managing public health problems … they’re currently working in silos, we need to breakdown those silos.”

Prof Salmon said better public transport was vital to get people off the roads and reduce road trauma.

“If you really want to tackle the problem we need better land use and design with increasing, viable public transport options.”