Tasmania leads nation with the sharpest rise in road deaths over the past year

Tasmania’s road toll compared to the nation over the past 12 months is revealed, prompting an urgent warning from the state’s peak road safety body.

Tasmania has once again recorded the biggest increase in statewide road deaths in the last 12 months. Picture: supplied

Tasmania has recorded the biggest increase in statewide road deaths in the past 12 months, prompting an urgent warning from the state’s peak road safety body.

43 people died on Tasmanian roads in the year to May 31 according to the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).

The figure is an increase of 13 compared to the equivalent period a year earlier.

Road Safety Advisory Council Chair Scott Tilyard said 2025 had so far been a “particularly tragic year” on Tasmanian roads.

“There is often a fine line between a fatal and serious crash and this year we have seen a significant increase in the number of crashes that have crossed that line,” he said.

Scott Tilyard, Road Safety Advisory Council Chair. Picture: Linda Higginson

“Tasmania has experienced a three-fold increase in road deaths compared to the same period in 2024, with 27 lives lost year to date compared to nine last year.

“Overall, fatal and serious injuries are around eight per cent higher than last year (and) sadly, more people will die or be seriously hurt on Tasmanian roads this year.”

Since May, a 59-year-old man died when his car struck a power pole at Randalls Bay, south of Cygnet, two young interstate tourists were killed after their car was found upside down in the Great Musselroe River and a 78-year-old woman died in June following a crash in Somerset.

Mr Tilyard urged all drivers to exercise caution, “obey the road rules, always drive to the conditions, and exercise tolerance and patience for other users”.

Nationally, 1337 deaths were recorded in the year to May 31, making it the country’s deadliest 12 months on the road since 2010.

The AAA said the increase was in part due to the deaths of cyclists and pedestrians, which accounted for 41 and 192 deaths respectively.

AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said the figures showed the National Road Safety Strategy – which aims to halve road deaths by 2030 – was wildly off track.

“Far from halving roads deaths as planned, this latest data shows this strategy has seen fatalities increase 21.9 per cent since its inception,’’ Mr Bradley said.

“This strategy saw governments commit to road safety interventions that are either not working or not being delivered,” he said.

Addressing poor driving behaviour remains a significant challenge says Scott Tilyard, Road Safety Advisory Council Chair. Picture: supplied

“This strategy is due for review and the federal government needs to show national leadership and ensure (it) gets to the bottom of this worsening crisis.”

Mr Tilyard said while some areas of Tasmanian road safety system were “incrementally” improving, addressing risky and poor driving behaviour remained a “significant challenge”.

“We’re making improvements to our roads all the time, vehicles are generally getting safer, we’re smarter at managing speed across the network, but we’re still catching a lot of people doing the wrong thing,” he said.

“This isn’t helped by the fact that many drivers tend to over-estimate their own driving abilities and regard other road users as the problem.”

22,680 drivers have been caught speeding in the last 12 months according to the Tasmania Police dashboard.

More than 18500 drivers were classed as high risk traffic offenders, and around 1500 have been caught drink driving.

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