Australia has experienced the deadliest 12 months on the nation's roads in more than five years.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Data shows 1253 Australians were killed in the 12 months to November 30, 2023, the highest 12-month road toll since March 2018.
The number of lives lost on South Australian roads has soared by 61 per cent, with 113 deaths in the past 12 months compared to 70 in the previous year.
The state's escalating road trauma made national headlines when the 18-year-old son of police commissioner Grant Stevens was killed in an alleged hit-and-run in November.
NSW and Victoria have also experienced a devastating rise in road trauma with a 24 per cent and 15 per cent spike in lives lost respectively.
Both states endured shocking multi-fatality incidents in the past year, including the Hunter Valley bus crash which killed ten wedding guests, and the recent Daylesford pub crash where five people including two children died.
While nationally road deaths have increased 6.3 per cent on the previous year, some jurisdictions have bucked the trend.
Three people have died on ACT roads compared to 20 people in the previous 12 months - an 85 per cent drop.
Tasmania and the Northern Territory each recorded a decrease of about 45 per cent, from 54 and 51 deaths down to 30 and 28 respectively.
Western Australia and Queensland have had little change on the previous with just slight decreases.
Australian Automobile Association (AAA) managing director Michael Bradley said more data was needed to identify why the road toll was rising.
"The states and territories have crucial data on the quality of Australian roads, the causes of crashes and law enforcement patterns - but they are not sharing this information," he said.
The AAA's Data Saves Lives campaign calls for obligations for states and territories to report road safety data on the cause of crashes, state of roads and police enforcement, to help inform more effective policies.
Federal transport minister Catherine King reminded motorists to drive with care during the holiday season.
"Deaths are not just a statistic; they are someone's parent, sibling, colleague, or cherished friend," Ms King said.
"So please take it easy on the roads and remember that road safety is a shared responsibility."
