Last year a notable decline in road deaths was seen in all states in Australia except for the NT and ACT, new data reveals.
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There have already been two this year, and we are barely through the first month.
“Last year’s road toll was horrific,” NT Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Minister Eva Lawler said.
“Too many families are being impacted by road deaths and serious injuries, many of which could have been prevented.”
The most recent statistical evidence, collected and analysed by the federal Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, shows there were 1,146 deaths in Australia for the 12-month period ending in December 2018.
New South Wales reported a 9 per cent decline with 389 road deaths in 2017 compared to 354 in 2018.
Victoria experienced a 17.4 per cent drop in road deaths (259 in 2017 and 214 in 2018), along with a 19 per cent fall in fatalities in South Australia (100 in 2017 and 81 in 2018).
Tasmania had a 2.9 per cent drop and Western Australia experienced a 0.6 per cent decline while Queensland had the same number as the previous year – however the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory each experienced increases.
“The Territory Labor Government takes road safety very seriously and we are acting to reduce fatalities and serious injuries,” Ms Lawler said.
“The Towards Zero Safety Action Plan aims to work towards improving road safety in the Northern Territory, including Katherine, over the next five years.
“We still have too many people not wearing seat belts, drink driving and not driving to the conditions on NT roads.
“Our message is clear — road safety is everyone’s business, and we all need to do our part to make sure everyone using our roads gets home safe.
“We know alcohol is one of the biggest causes of road trauma. We are implementing the biggest alcohol reforms in NT history including re-introducing the Banned Drinker’s Register, stationing auxiliary cops on bottle shops, banning additional takeaway Liquor Licences and giving police the power to shut down bottle shops caught irresponsibly selling alcohol.”
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack said the ultimate safety outcome is zero road deaths on Australian roads.
“A 6.4 per cent decline in road deaths (across Australia) last year should trigger a reason to ask how that performance can be improved in 2019 and what more can we do to make a difference,” he said.
“One road death or accident is one too many and the release of these recent national road death figures should serve as a reminder to all road users and stakeholders, including all Governments, to be ever-vigilant and work harder to achieve improvements.
“We should never forget road accidents also have a broader impact on the families of the victims and also the emergency service workers who respond at such times of need, such as police, ambulance and emergency road crews.
“Driver fatigue and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol are other major factors in contributing to road deaths and accidents.
“All drivers can take self-responsibility at all times and follow these basic safety standards to ensure emergency service workers won’t be attending the scene of an accident involving them in future or knocking on the door of their home, with tragic news for their friends and families.”
The latest road fatality data from Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics can be viewed here: https://bitre.gov.au/statistics/safety/index.aspx
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