Deadly stretch on our roads

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

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

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

Victoria’s Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Glenn Weir last week said some driver behaviour on the state’s roads was “frightening” and “reckless”, and unapologetically vowed to be in motorists’ faces to reduce trauma.

The latest AAA report has renewed the peak body’s call for governments to act on the roads crisis by releasing data that can explain the causes.

AAA managing director Michael Bradley said 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 roads 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.’’

Among the data sought by the motoring bodies are police reports on the causes of fatal car crashes, road safety ratings and reports about police traffic enforcement.

The association’s campaign also calls on the commonwealth to compel states and territories to provide its road data as a condition of receiving federal road grants.

The National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 was signed by all Australian governments three years ago, aiming to have zero road deaths by 2050.