Australia is facing its highest road toll in over a decade, with 1,300 fatalities in 2024, marking a 3.3% increase from the previous year. Queensland recorded a 9% increase in road fatalities, while Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory also recorded increases.
While South Australia showed a slight improvement with a 22% decrease, the overall trend is concerning.
The 2024 statistics mark the fourth consecutive year in which fatalities have increased.
Experts like Dr Ingrid Johnston, CEO of the Australasian College of Road Safety, highlight that Australia was once a global leader in road safety but has now fallen behind.
In an interview with ABC, Johnston believes that authorities aren’t collecting enough post-crash data to understand why these fatalities happen and how they can be prevented.
The rising road toll: What the data tells us
The increase in road fatalities suggests that current safety measures are not enough. Government figures show that:
- Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory have recorded significant increases in road deaths.
- Western Australia experienced a notable increase, with fatalities rising by 17% in 2024.
- The Northern Territory's numbers jumped by nearly double from 31 deaths in 2023 to 58 in 2024.
- New South Wales' numbers remained unchanged, while South Australia saw a 22% decrease.
How alcohol and drug-impaired driving contributes to road fatalities
Driving under the influence is a leading cause of road fatalities in Australia. 1 in 5 drivers killed on our roads recorded a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .05 or higher.
Many drivers underestimate how long alcohol or drugs affect their system, leading to impaired judgment, slower reaction times, and increased crash risks.
Read more about how long alcohol stays in your body.
Common misconceptions about impaired driving:
- “Sleeping it off” makes you sober – Alcohol stays in your system for hours, and you may still be over the legal limit the next morning. Sleeping off alcohol does not work.
- “Hangover driving is fine” – Even if you don’t feel drunk, your reaction time and focus are still impaired.
- “Drugs don’t affect driving that much” – Illicit drugs, prescription medications, and over-the-counter drugs can impair coordination, focus, and reflexes.
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What can be done to reduce Australia’s road toll?
The Road Safety Data Hub, a $21.2 million initiative announced in May 2024, aims to improve road safety by collecting and sharing critical crash data.
In November 2024, the government reached agreements with all states and territories to enhance data transparency, helping shape transport policies and funding through the Road Safety Program.
This initiative addresses Dr Johnston’s concerns mentioned earlier, ensuring authorities have better insights to implement effective safety measures.
Better post-crash data collection
Dr Johnston argues that authorities must improve post-crash data collection to identify patterns and target safety improvements effectively.
Stronger DUI enforcement & public awareness
- More comprehensive roadside drug testing to deter unsafe driving.
- Educating drivers on how long alcohol stays in their system before it’s safe to drive.
- Clearer policies on prescription and over-the-counter drug warnings for driving impairment.
Encouraging personal responsibility
- Drivers should self-check their BAC using a personal breathalyser before deciding to drive.
- Employers in high-risk industries should enforce workplace alcohol and drug testing policies to include alcohol breath testing with a workplace breathalyser.
- Greater awareness on how impairment affects reaction time and driving ability.
Safer Australian roads with Andatech
Australia’s rising road toll is a wake-up call that we must prioritise road safety and take action to reduce preventable fatalities.
Authorities must enhance data collection and implement stricter DUI enforcement measures to tackle a major contributor to road deaths—impaired driving.
To combat rising fatalities, Australia’s federal, state, and territory governments agreed to the 10-year National Road Safety Strategy in 2021, setting five key targets to achieve by 2030:
- Reduce road deaths by 50% from a 2018–2020 baseline.
- Reduce serious injuries by 30% from a 2018–2020 baseline.
- Zero road deaths of children aged seven years and under.
- Zero road deaths in city CBD areas.
- Zero road deaths on all national highways and on high-speed roads, covering 80% of travel across the network.
Despite these targets, Australia is not currently on track to meet them, reinforcing the urgent need for stronger enforcement, improved infrastructure, and better public awareness.
Alcohol and drug-impaired driving is preventable. Andatech provides Australian Standards-certified breathalysers and drug test kits to help individuals and businesses monitor impairment.
📌 Be proactive. Check your BAC before driving with an Andatech breathalyser and help make Australia’s roads safer.
