Can the road toll keep trending down these holidays?

The nation’s total road toll stands at a horrific 1180 road deaths, according to the Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities – a 2.4% decrease compared with the same 12-month period in 2017.

As Aussies pile into their cars to go on holidays, rush around to buy last-minute presents and scramble to finish work and set off on some much-needed annual leave, can that downward trend continue?

For 100,000 people the annual death rate is currently 4.7 – a 3.9% decrease over the same 12-month to November 2017. That means for every 100,000 people, nearly five are killed in a road crash incident.

In 2018 563 drivers lost their lives lost out on the road – a drop of 11 compared to the 552 drivers killed in 2017, and 52 less than the shocking year-that-was in 2016 where 615 drivers died.

Aside from the emotional distress road crashes have on families and friends, the death hit the country financially as well.

National Road Safety Partnership Program manager Jerome Carslake says the monetary cost is staggering.

“Road crashes cost Australia $27-30 billion per year – or $70 million per day, which is the same as the National Defence Budget,” he tells QBE.

“What people don’t realise is that around 90% of all crashes are due to a minor mistake,” he explains.

Carslake says drivers need to look out for themselves, self-counsel and get there in one piece.

“Just take a deep breath and think, do you need to be the first person at the lights? Does it matter if someone indicates and comes in front of you? If everyone just takes a bit more time, we can reduce the number of road casualties.

“It’s just a small mistake such as being distracted, fatigued or going even a little over the speed limit. That’s how the majority of road crashes occur.”

Carslake warns that extra care should be taken around trucks as they keep the country moving and drivers often don’t get to spend Christmas with their families.

“Eighty per cent of accidents involving a heavy vehicle are not the fault of the heavy vehicle driver but are a result of someone pulling in front of them without realising there’s 70 tonnes travelling behind them,” he warns.

“Trucks don’t stop as easily as a car. That’s why truck drivers leave so much space. If you pull in too early in front of a truck, you just might end up underneath it,” Carslake says.