For the first time, the Australian road fatality rate has fallen below 5 deaths per 100,000 people, in three states – NSW, Victoria and Queensland – according to the latest statistics by the Bureau of infrastructure, transport and regional economics (BITRE).
BITRE confirmed today the record low in Australia road deaths, which shows that in the last 12 months there has been a 9% reduction in road deaths.
The update also found that all States have seen a reduction in deaths over the last five years—ranging from 13% in Victoria to 38% in the ACT—and deaths of young adults (17–25) have fallen in that time by nearly half (48%).
Despite these significant decreases, a total of 1157 lives were lost on Australian roads over the past year to July, and deaths of older people (65 years and over) have increased by 13%.
While overall deaths have decreased, pedal cycle deaths have increased over the past two years. The trend will be a worrying sign for those that ride their bikes on Australian roads, with 56 pedal cycling deaths in 2014 compared to 39 in 2013.
The Australian Government has invested $500 million in the national Black Spot program and a further $2.1 billion towards Roads to Recovery over the next five years to deliver funding to every council across Australia to fix local roads.
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