Australia's road toll has climbed to 1,300 deaths in 2024, the highest since 2012, according to data from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE). This marks a 3.3% increase from 1,258 deaths in 2023 and an 18.5% rise since 2021, when a national strategy to halve road fatalities was introduced. The surge represents the longest period of rising road deaths since the 1960s, before seatbelt laws were enacted.
Pedestrian fatalities rose 7.1% to 167, cyclist deaths increased 11.8% to 38, and motorcyclist deaths hit a 35-year high of 278, up 10.3% from 2023. While driver and passenger deaths fell slightly, the overall trend highlights growing dangers for vulnerable road users. The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has called for greater transparency, urging the federal government to require states to disclose road safety scores (AusRAP) as a condition for funding.
State-level data showed mixed results: Queensland recorded 302 deaths (up from 277), Western Australia 185 (up from 158), and the Northern Territory 58 (up from 31). In contrast, Victoria saw a drop to 281 deaths, Tasmania to 32, and South Australia to 91. New South Wales remained steady at 340 deaths. No state or territory is on track to meet the National Road Safety Strategy's goal of halving road deaths by 2030.
Experts attribute the rise to factors including deteriorating road quality, excessive speed limits on rural roads, poor driving habits developed during COVID-19 lockdowns, and the increasing popularity of SUVs, which can give drivers a false sense of security and are more dangerous in collisions. The AAA has urged better data collection on crash causes and enforcement effectiveness to reverse the trend.
