NSW road toll: Selfish reasons why motorists put others at risk

A cavalier attitude could be behind countless road deaths, with new research revealing the rules broken and excuses NSW drivers use.

Lead-footed motorists are ruling the roads with four out of five drivers admitting to speeding.

And surprisingly, women dominated the category with 81 per cent of female drivers admitting to speeding, compared to 75 per cent of men.

New research by The Australian Road Safety Foundation suggests Australia’s cavalier attitude to road safety could be responsible for countless unnecessary deaths.

More than 1100 people lost their lives on Australia’s road in 2020, with NSW recording the highest road toll of all states with 298 fatalities.

Of the NSW drivers surveyed, two-thirds (66 per cent) admitted to breaking a road rule, with speeding the most common offence.

Three passengers are lucky to have survived after the driver of a Chrysler 300C lost control on a bend in Bondi Road, Bondi and sliced his car open with a steel safety barrier. Picture: Bill Hearne

Jay-walking and using a mobile phone came in equal second place.

As to the excuse for why NSW road users flouted the law?

The most popular reasons cited were inattention (32 per cent) and the misconception it was safe to do so (23 per cent).

But the difference between life and death on our roads, can be little more than a split-second.

Three-time V8 Supercar champion and seven-winner of the Bathurst 1000 winner, Craig Lowndes, has experienced those dangers first-hand.

“I know better than most the dangers of a high-powered vehicle, and cannot stress enough that the road is not a racetrack. There is no excuse for dangerous driving no matter what the driving conditions may look like,” Lowndes said.

“The stark reality is that any time you take a risk behind the wheel, you are putting the lives of every motorist, passenger, cyclist and pedestrian around you at risk. Together, we can save precious lives on our roads.”

V8 Supercar champion Craig Lowndes.

In fact, despite the widely-held perception that drivers make up the majority of road fatalities, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists made up more than half the NSW road toll in 2020.

It’s a sobering statistic, particularly as increasing numbers of Australians are now embracing road trips and domestic holidaying in the wake of COVID-19 border restrictions.

More than half of NSW drivers (54 per cent) said they were more likely to do longer road trips versus flying this year.

“Individuals have a responsibility to make the right choices when using the roads and it is imperative they understand the devastating consequences their choices can have not just on other road users, but on the wider community,“ Australian Road Safety Foundation founder and CEO Russell White said.

Australian Road Safety Foundation founder and CEO Russell White.

“That’s why this year we’re working to increase awareness of the devastating domino effect of road trauma beyond fatalities. The impact of road trauma is far-reaching and does not discriminate. Road users also need to understand the impact on families, friends, schools, workplaces, first responders and emergency services.”

The Australian Road Safety Foundation conducted its research as part of its Fatality Free Friday campaign.

The target is to have zero road deaths on Fatality Free Friday on May 28 and instil long-term community change.