Deadliest six months on our roads in more than 13 years as heartbroken sister speaks out

Australia has recorded its deadliest six months on the roads in more than 13 years, prompting calls from devastated family members and the nation’s car authority to review the National Road Safety Strategy that aimed to halve deaths by 2030.

Australia has recorded its deadliest six months on the roads in more than 13 years, prompting calls to review the National Road Safety Strategy that aimed to halve deaths by 2030.

The Australian Automobile Association said the federal government’s strategy was a failure because death numbers were going up, not down.

A total of 677 Australians died on the roads during the second half of 2023 – the deadliest period since the first half of 2010.

There were 351 fatalities on NSW roads last year, a 25 per cent increase in the amount of road deaths compared to the year prior.

One of these deaths was 17-year-old Mahee Uddin, who died in a single-car crash on the M5 at Revesby on December 15, 2023.

Tasnia Uddin’s teen brother died in a crash in Sydney just before Christmas. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Mahee Uddin’s death has shaken his family.

Mahee’s sister, Tasnia Uddin, 18, said she grew worried when she could not find him and went looking for him.

She then came across signs that emergency crews had erected near the M5 warning drivers of her brother’s crash.

“He wasn’t at his usual places, I then saw on the M5 that there was a crash – there were signs, the black signs with orange writing,” she said.

“I was just praying it wasn’t him, I tried to get to the crash site. Around 3am police came to our house.”

Ms Uddin, a law student at Macquarie University, said Mahee’s death had not fully sunk in for her and her family.

Ms Uddin urged drivers to be safe when on the roads across NSW.

Australian Automobile Association Managing Director Michael Bradley renewed his call for more action on road safety

“We are only human and only one wrong decision can change our lives forever,” she said. “Be smart on the road, the traffic laws are set in the place for a reason.

“I could never have imagined this would happen to Mahee.”

So far this year, 21 people in NSW have died in road ­crashes, compared to 17 over January last year.

The latest Australian Automobile Association (AAA) report renewed its call for governments to act on the roads crisis by releasing data that could help explain the causes for the tragic toll.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley said that without better information, Australia had no credible plan to understand current road trauma issues.

The organisation launched its Data Saves Lives campaign last year.

“While so much data relating to road quality and crash causation remains secret, Australia can neither identify the cause of its rising road toll, nor develop the most effective measures to reduce it,’’ Mr Bradley said.

“AAA research shows Australians are deeply cynical of how politicians prioritise road project funding and improved data transparency is a commonsense approach that enjoys overwhelming community support.’’

Have you got a story for the Daily Telegraph? Email [e-mail]