Bush road toll higher than Sydney

As Australians spend National Road Safety Week honouring those killed and injured on our roads, the NRMA is today pointing to alarming statistics that show the number of people dying on regional roads across NSW is two-thirds higher than in the city.

Since January 1, 90 people have died on country roads across NSW, which is two-thirds of the state’s road toll of 136. Alarmingly, the state’s road toll is 11 higher than the same time last year.

While regional and rural residents make up just one-third of the NSW population, two-thirds of all fatalities occurred on country roads. Generally, more than 70 per cent of fatal crashes on country roads involve country residents, who often lose their lives just kilometres from home.

National Road Safety Week was born out of tragedy in 2012, when an NRMA service provider and 23-year-old Member Sarah Frazer were killed in the breakdown lane of the Hume Highway just south of Mittagong.

The NRMA is actively supporting National Road Safety Week by flying yellow ribbons on all patrol vehicles, branding key-wallets for rooms at Travelodge Hotels in Australia and the Hotel Kurrajong in Canberra with a Yellow Ribbon logo and providing complimentary yellow jellybeans to customers at NRMA Car Servicing and guests at NRMA Parks and Resorts.

In November 2018, the NSW Government announced an extra 1,500 Police officers – the single biggest increase in more than 30 years. The NRMA welcomed the announcement and is urging the Government to commit adequate police resources and support services to tackling the regional road toll.

NRMA research found the public’s comprehensive support for the role of Police. More than half (56%) said visible highway patrols were the most effective way to tackle bad driver behaviour. When combined with unmarked Police cars, that figure rose to 79 per cent.

NRMA Road Safety Expert Dimitra Vlahomitros said speed, drink driving, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts still killed Australians at an alarming rate, especially in the bush.

"There's a perception that it's the “out of towners” dying on unfamiliar country roads, but tragically it’s not. It is overwhelmingly country people dying on country roads,” Ms Vlahomitros said.

“The sad truth is that if you live in the country, you're four times more likely to die in a road crash than if you live in a metropolitan area.”

Contact: Bridget Ahern 0423 505 854