Qld road deaths 2024: Where they were and what needs to change

Queensland’s road toll has tragically reached 301 deaths – the highest in 15 years – prompting pleas for motorists to change their driving habits. SEE THE MAP

• Editor’s view: No more blame-shifting

Queensland’s road toll has tragically reached 301 deaths – the highest in 15 years – prompting the state’s top road officer to plead for motorists to change their driving habits.

Senior police say the fatal five of speeding, drink or drug driving, fatigue, distraction, and not wearing seatbelts are involved in 95 per cent of fatal crashes, with many of the deaths preventable.

The police service confirmed the grim toll of 301 deaths on Monday, the highest number on Queensland roads since 2009 when 331 people were killed.

The Bruce Highway has accounted for at least 41 of the deaths.

The road toll is the second worst in the country, after NSW which has so far recorded 336 deaths.

Road Policing Command acting Assistant Commissioner Janelle Andrews pleaded for motorists to take more care on the roads and spoke of the devastation she had seen first-hand.

“I was 21 years old when I attended my first double fatal crash as a newly sworn-in police officer,” Assistant Commissioner Andrews wrote.

“There was a tarp draped over the wreck to shield the two young people who died in that car.

“A boyfriend and girlfriend, both just 19-years-old. They had been happy just moments earlier, enjoying time together at a friend's house nearby.

“I remember how upset I felt standing with each of their parents to identify them at the morgue – that will stay with me forever. Nothing had ever felt as horrific and final.”

Assistant Commissioner Andrews said her job as a police officer was to help people but there was no way she could.

“There was no coming back from it and there was no way I could fix it,” she said.

“That helpless feeling is amplified today as Queensland reaches a harrowing milestone. More than 300 lives have been lost on our roads this year — the highest toll in nearly two decades.

“That’s 300 families torn apart, 300 futures cut short, and countless friends and communities left grieving.”

Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said officers around the state were being called to an extraordinary amount of domestic violence jobs, taking up large amounts of their shift time.

“I firmly believe that the current state of the road toll is because our police are caught up doing domestic and family violence and not on the roads as often as they should be,” he said.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg said 301 deaths on the state’s roads was “simply unacceptable” as he again called for the federal government to stump up 80:20 funding on the Bruce Highway where a large number of people have lost their lives.

“We know where there have been measures to upgrade, for example, wide centre line treatment on the Bruce Highway, it’s resulted in less deaths,” he said.

“Ultimately it’s Queenslanders who lose when the Bruce Highway is not at the standard it needs to be, and Queenslanders die on the Bruce Highway every single day because it’s not up to standard.”

Brianna Day was just one of many Queenslanders who died on our roads in 2024.

The Albanese government has so far refused to reinstate 80:20 funding for the Bruce Highway after scrapping it in the aftermath of an infrastructure review.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised the Coalition would ensure the federal government again funds 80 per cent of the cost of Bruce Highway projects, in line with what the former Morrison government had put in place.

At a state level the newly reconstituted Bruce Highway Trust Advisory Council met in Townsville in recent days, with members flagging the need for better and more frequent rest stops particularly for heavy vehicles.

Mr Mickelberg implored motorists to take responsibility for their behaviour on the roads and to not drive drunk or under the influence of drugs.

He said while the Queensland road toll was high, the tally had increased in other jurisdictions as well.

Assistant Commissioner Andrews said any police officer would explain how despairing it was to attend a fatal crash.

“The aftermath is something that can never be unseen — the crumpled car, scattered belongings, and eerie silence where there should be life,” she said.

“When I speak with officers about these moments, the same themes come up; the regret of knowing these crashes were preventable, the frustration that decisions, like checking a text message or speeding through a red light, can have such devastating consequences and the helplessness that they couldn’t have changed the outcome.

“It reminds me that road safety isn’t just a personal responsibility, it’s a collective one. Every choice we make on the road has the potential to save, or take, lives.

“When my own son drives out of the driveway I pause, worried for his safety, briefly imagining all the things that could go wrong, replaying many of the tragic moments I’ve been a part of in my career.

“I’m so acutely aware of the stark reality of how fragile life can be. I’ve no doubt that those moments of vulnerability are shared by every parent, sibling, and friend.

“It’s what motivates me to speak up now. Not just as a police officer, but as a fellow Queenslander who cares deeply about our community.

“This isn’t just a wakeup call; this is a plea for change.”

A crash at Marlborough on December 5.

Assistant Commissioner Andrews said despite advancements in technology and infrastructure, human factors such as decision-making and driver actions remained the most significant contributor to crashes.

“Speeding, drink or drug driving, fatigue, distraction, and not wearing seatbelts are preventable behaviours that are involved in 95 per cent of fatal crashes,” she said.

“The Queensland Police Service remains committed to tackling road safety from every angle, but we can’t do it alone. Each of us must take deliberate action and responsibility for our behaviour on the road and hold each other to account.

“The 300 lives lost this year are an unimaginable reminder of what is at stake. Let’s not wait for another heartbreaking day, month, or year to start making safer choices. Every life matters.

“Together, we can make our roads safer to ensure fewer people experience the incredibly helpless pain of loss.

“To those who have lost someone on our roads this year, I extend to you my sincerest sympathy. Queensland, let us honour those loved ones by us all committing to change.”

The Bruce Highway could get urgent upgrades. Picture: Michael O'Connor

Queensland road deaths in 2024

Originally published as Qld road deaths 2024: Where they were and what needs to change