Media Release
CK001/2012
25 January 2012
In 2011, Australia recorded the lowest number of road deaths since 1946, down to about a third of the deaths recorded at the peak in 1970. Over the past 10 years annual fatalities on Australian roads have fallen by almost 26 per cent.
New official figures for December 2011 show 1,292 lives were lost on the nation‘s roads during 2011—a 4.4 per cent reduction on 2010. This fall continues the downward trend over the last five years.
Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, said the Government is working to reduce the national road toll even further through the implementation of the new National Road Safety Strategy.
“Even more encouraging is the 22 per cent drop in the number of young driver fatalities compared with 2010. The 2011 figures for driver fatalities in the 17 to 25 age bracket are also 34 per cent lower than those recorded in 2007.
“These figures reflect the proactive road safety initiatives pursued by Federal and State governments over recent years; the efforts of police and the greater care being taken by motorists when behind the wheel.
“The Gillard Government will continue to look at initiatives for younger drivers with a focus on saving lives through education with programs such as keys2drive offering free lessons to learners.
“Although these latest figures display a significant improvement on our roads, there is no room for complacency. In the 12-day period around Christmas and New Year, 50 people were killed on Australian roads” Ms King said.
Last year the Australian Government in partnership with States and Territories launched the National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 that aims to cut road deaths and serious injuries by at least 30 per cent by 2020.
The Strategy represents a national commitment to making our roads safer and brings together Commonwealth, State and Territory resources dedicated to making this happen.
A breakdown of the latest road deaths is below. A full copy of Road Deaths Australia: Monthly Bulletin December 2011 can be downloaded from www.bitre.gov.au.
Media Contacts
- Peter Dwyer - 0409 866 054
Key Figures:
- There was a total of 123 road deaths in December 2011. Compared to the average for the month of December over the last five years, this is a 10.9 per cent decrease.
- During the 12 months ended December 2011 there were 1,292 deaths. This is a 4.4 per cent decrease from the 12-monthly period ending December 2010.
- The rate of annual deaths per 100 000 population presently stands at 5.7. This is a 5.8 per cent decrease from the 12-monthly period ending December 2010.
The breakdown of road deaths by states and territories (year ending December 2011):
| NSW | 376—down 7.2 per cent; |
|---|---|
| Victoria | 288—unchanged; |
| Queensland | 269—up 8 per cent; |
| SA | 103—down 12.7 per cent; |
| WA | 180—down 6.7 per cent |
| Tasmania | 26—down 16.1 per cent; |
| NT | 44—down 10.2 per cent; |
| ACT | 6—down 68.4 per cent. |
The breakdown of road deaths by age (year ending December 2011):
| 0-16 years | 98—up 32.4 per cent; |
|---|---|
| 17-25 years | 279—down 17 per cent; |
| 26-39 years | 277—down 9.2 per cent; |
| 40-59 years | 340—down 4.5 per cent; |
| 60-69 years | 105—down 7.1 per cent. |
| 70+ years | 189—up 13.2 per cent |
The breakdown of road deaths by gender (year ending December 2011):
| Males | 933—down 4.8 per cent; |
|---|---|
| Females | 356—down 4.0 per cent. |
The breakdown of road deaths by category of road user (year ending December 2011):
| Drivers | 581—down 8.5 per cent; |
|---|---|
| Passengers | 286—up 0.7 per cent; |
| Pedestrians | 189—up 11.2 per cent; |
| Motorcyclists | 200—down 10.7 per cent; |
| Cyclists | 35—down 7.9 per cent. |
Additional details about road incidents in 2011:
- 61 per cent of fatal accidents occurred during the day;
- 59 per cent occurred on weekdays;
- 49 per cent occurred in areas where speed limits of 100 km/h or more applied; and
- in 44 per cent of crashes, a single vehicle only was involved.
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