Calls for better data as Australia’s road toll soars despite safer cars and speed cameras

Australia’s peak motoring body has warned that “we don’t know” what’s behind a recent surge in pedestrian deaths on Aussie roads.

Australia’s peak motoring body has warned that “we don’t know” what’s behind a recent surge in pedestrian fatalities, as the country’s road toll soars despite ever-safer cars and speed cameras.

The number of deaths on Australia roads surged by 5.9 per cent in the 12 months to March 31, according the most recent figures, which showed pedestrian deaths rose by 22.6 per cent.

Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics data show 1204 people died on the nation’s roads in the year to April, 67 more than the previous corresponding period.

The Australian Capital Territory saw the sharpest rise in road deaths at 70 per cent, followed by Western Australia on 16.9 per cent, Victoria on 9.7 per cent, South Australia on 9.4 per cent and Tasmania on 9.1 per cent.

Queensland had a 1.8 per cent increase in deaths while NSW was flat. Only the Northern Territory recorded a decrease, with deaths down 14 per cent.

Australian Automobile Association (AAA) director Michael Bradley said in a statement earlier this month that the latest figures highlighted the need for governments to rethink current approaches to road safety.

The scene of a horror multi-vehicle crash near Strathmerton. Picture: Nine News

In particular, the AAA — the peak body for state-based bodies including the NRMA, RACV and RACQ — is calling for more data on the causes of road trauma.

“Deaths are still rising, but we still have no national data on crash causes, serious injuries, road quality, or details on the people and vehicles involved,” Mr Bradley said.

“We know that pedestrian road deaths rose by 22.6 per cent in the 12 months to 31 March. But we don’t know the reasons for this surge. We need to know how people were killed in road crashes so we can prevent similar deaths in the future.”

In its 2023-24 budget submission, the AAA urged the government to make federal road funding to states and territories contingent on greater transparency of state-held road crash data.

“This would enable motorists and taxpayers to judge what’s going wrong, and would guide effective road safety measures,” Mr Bradley said.

“It makes no sense for governments to set targets on road safety without releasing relevant data about what’s working and what’s failing.”

Australia’s road toll surged 5.9 per cent in the year to March 31. Picture: Eleisha Collins

A total of 163 pedestrians were killed in the year to April compared with 133 in the prior 12 months, an increase of 30 people — by far the highest percentage increase by category.

Drivers still make up the bulk of deaths, with 557 lives lost — 12 more than the year before, an increase of 2.2 per cent.

Motorcyclist deaths increased by 7 per cent, with 16 more killed for a total of 246.

Passenger deaths were up 3.8 per cent by an additional seven people for a total of 189.

Forty cyclists have died on the roads, one higher than the previous period, an increase of 2.6 per cent.

NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said the bottom line is the road toll numbers were “not good statistics”, particularly after a horror March.

“In January and February [in NSW] we’d actually fallen on previous years, which was promising, then in March we saw a huge spike,” he said.

Mr Khoury said the increase in pedestrian and passenger fatalities was worrying, but the “biggest concern” for the NRMA was the “overrepresentation of fatalities in regional areas”.

A pedestrian on their mobile phone hit by bus on Oxford Street. Picture: Supplied

“There have been 31 deaths in Sydney and almost 80 outside of Sydney,” he said.

“That’s pretty consistent with what we’re seeing nationally.”

Earlier this week, motoring websiteCarExpert posed the question, “Why is Australia’s road toll up, despite speed cameras and safer cars?”

One reader wrote, “Population growth, mobile phones, drug use, and just general poorer mental health I suspect. I’ve noticed quite a lot of selfish and anti-social behaviour on the roads post-pandemic.”

Another said, “I am a bus driver in Sydney city, the amount of near misses I encounter every day is horrendous — people reading their phones not noticing traffic lights, pushbike delivery riders don’t follow road rules, and the list goes on and on.”

Mr Khoury said it was “difficult to read into that level [of detail] because you need to look at individual cases”.

“Getting better access to information is critical,” he said.

Mr Khoury said greater police visibility, investment in road upgrades, cameras and public education were all needed.

The NRMA says cameras are only part of the solution. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“There’s just no silver bullet to reducing the road toll,” he said.

“We know police presence is the most effective way to reduce all forms of bad behaviour — not just speeding but making sure your passenger’s wearing a seatbelt, not driving drunk or on drugs, not driving fatigued or recklessly, all those things we know put people’s lives at risk.

“Police cameras, red light cameras, mobile phone cameras, they are also important.

“We need to continue to invest in the road network, particularly in regional areas. We’ve seen some real progress made on the Pacific Highway, Hume Highway, sections of the Princes Highway, we’ve made what used to be some of the most dangerous roads the safest in Australia.

“There are all manner of things we need to be doing better, and also continuing to do the things we know work.”

James Williams, head of policy at RACV, said the “national vision to achieve zero lives lost by 2050 should be maintained”.

“Governments should continue to fund community awareness campaigns to warn road users about road safety risks,” he said in a statement.

“RACV has recently launched the My Melbourne Road survey calling on the public to help identify potential safety issues on Melbourne’s roads. We want to gather as much data as we can so that we can highlight and encourage meaningful changes that can deliver safety improvements and help save lives.

“RACV also encourages people to maintain their cars, avoid distractions and fatigue while driving to reduce the risk of major faults or issues.”