BENCHMARKING THE PERFORMANCE OF THE NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY STRATEGY Q4 2019

released February 2020

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 3

Table of contents

Key changes Key changes since September 2019 report 4

Foreword Australia’s road toll: December 2019 5

Section One National overview 7

Section Two Analysis: States and territories 8

Section Three Analysis: Road user groups 12

Section Four Analysis: Road deaths by population 15

AAA 4

Key changes

Key changes since September 2019 reportRoad fatalities increased by 7.3 per cent from the September 2019 quarter to the December 2019 quarter.

In the 12 months to December 2019, road fatalities increased by 4.7 per cent with 53 more fatalities compared to the corresponding period (1,188 deaths compared to 1,135 deaths in the 12 months to December 2018).

The data still indicate that Australia is not on track to achieve either the NRSS target for reduction in fatalities or the targeted reductions in serious injuries.

Analytical key

Green On track to meet or exceed NRSS target. The reduction in road crash fatalities is equal to or greater than the rate required to achieve NRSS target.

Amber Currently ahead of (notional) target but a faster rate of improvement is required to achieve NRSS target by 2020.

Red Road crash fatalities are above the notional NRSS target.

Current national status Red

NSW Red

VIC Red

QLD Amber

SA Red

WA Red

TAS Amber

NT Amber

ACT Green

Previous national status Red

NSW Red

VIC Red

QLD Amber

SA Red

WA Red

TAS Amber

NT Amber

ACT Green

User groups Previous Current

Drivers Red Red

Passengers Green Green

Pedestrians Red Red

Motorcyclists Red Red

Cyclists Red Red

Note: The data used to produce this information were sourced from the Australian Road Deaths Database: https://bitre.gov.au/statistics/safety/fatal_road_crash_database.aspx, accessed on 14 January 2020 and Road Deaths Australia December 2019 monthly bulletin ISSN 1449-1168. Data on severe injuries were obtained from the Australian Trauma Registry (ATR).

Foreword

Australia’s 2019 road tollThe start of 2020 was supposed to be a time when Australia was counting down the months towards achieving the goal of a 30 per cent reduction in road deaths and serious injuries over the past decade. This life-saving target was set by all governments from all sides of politics as a part of the National Road Safety Strategy signed off in 2011.

However instead of marking an achievement, we start this year with the release of the final road toll for 2019 that confirms 1,188 people lost their lives. This represents an increase of 4.7 per cent across the nation on the previous year.

The tragedy of our road toll and our failing National Road Safety Strategy is further underlined with the revelation of two particularly horrific spikes in our road toll in 2019: the road toll in Victoria increased by 25.8 per cent on the previous year, and in South Australia by 42.5 per cent.

These figures do not represent glitches or anomalies: they are human lives and they represent failure.

Much has been written about the National Road Safety Strategy’s shortcomings; its lack of transparency, and its absence of compliance mechanisms or accountability. In 2020 state and federal ministers will work together to set the next National Road Safety Strategy to take effect from next year. In going about that task, they need to seriously consider the decade of policy and leadership failures that make it almost inevitable that the road safety targets set in the current National Road Safety Strategy will not be met by the end of this year; with some still not even measured.

The decision of the federal government to establish an Office of Road Safety is a positive—if only preliminary—step towards ensuring greater focus and coordination. The new office has been charged with developing the next National Road Safety Strategy and the AAA looks forward to being a part of its development on behalf of the 8 million motorists we represent through our member clubs: the NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAC, RAA, RACT and the AANT.

Michael Bradley

Managing Director Australian Automobile Association

5BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 5

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 7

Section One

National overviewNational (Australia) fatalities and severe injuries per annum

1000

1050

1100

1150

1200

1250

1300

1350

1400

1450

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Trend Severe injuriesFatalitiesTarget

Fata

liti

es p

er a

nnum

Dec’19

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

Seve

re i

njur

ies

per

annu

m

Red

As of Decemeber 2019, fatalities have reduced by 16.7 per cent against the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) baseline.

The Strategy aims to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries by at least 30 per cent by 2020.

Compared with 2011, when the strategy began, the 12-month 2019 road toll has decreased by only 12.2 per cent.

Fatalities

There were 293 fatalities in the quarter ending December 2019; this was 7.3 per cent higher than the 273 deaths recorded in the previous quarter.

In the 12 months ended December 2019, there were 1,188 deaths on Australian roads.

This was a 4.7 per cent increase from the 1,135 road deaths in the 12 months ended December 2018.

Severe injuries

This report also includes data on severe injuries from on-road crashes. Severe injuries are a subset of serious injuries. The Australian Trauma Registry (ATR) provides national injury statistics to the AAA. These figures are included in the Benchmarking Report for the period up until December 2018.

The number of severe injuries in the 12 months to December 2018 is 1.6 per cent lower than in the 12 months to December 2017.

The ATR notes that variations in data may be due to improved

data completeness and quality and this must be considered when interpreting the data.

Reported figures for annual severe injuries between July 2015 and March 2018 are directly comparable as the data quality and number of reporting trauma centres were consistent for that period.

Numbers may change slightly for the most current quarters as sites and registries identify further patients for inclusion/exclusion in future data submissions to the ATR.

Comparative performance: Road fatalities in the past 12 months

1,135

1,188

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200

2019

2018The national road toll for the 12 months ending December 2019 was 4.7 per cent higher than in the previous corresponding period.

AAA 8

Section Two

Analysis: States and territoriesNew South Wales fatalities per annum

280

300

320

340

360

380

400

420

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months ending December 2019, 352 people died on NSW roads, compared to 347 in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 1.4 per cent.

Victoria fatalities per annum

210

220

230

240

250

260

270

280

290

300

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 268 people died on Victorian roads, compared to 213 in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a 25.8 per cent increase.

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 9

Section Two

Queensland fatalities per annum

200

220

240

260

280

300

320

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Amber

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 217 people died on Queensland roads, down from 245 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a decrease of 11.4 per cent.

South Australia fatalities per annum

75

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 114 people died on South Australian roads, compared to 80 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 42.5 per cent.

AAA 10

Section Two

Analysis: States and territoriesWestern Australia fatalities per annum

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

TrendActualTarget

Dec'19201920182017201620152014201320122011

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 163 people were killed on Western Australian roads, compared to 158 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 3.2 per cent.

Tasmania fatalities per annum

0

10

20

30

40

50

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Amber

• In the 12 months ending December 2019, 32 people died on Tasmanian roads, compared to 33 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a decrease of 3.0 per cent.

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 11

Section Two

Northern Territory fatalities per annum

10

20

30

40

50

60

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Amber

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 36 people died on Northern Territory roads, compared to 50 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a decrease of 28.0 per cent.

Australian Capital Territory fatalities per annum

0

5

10

15

20

25

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Green

• The ACT recorded 6 road deaths in the 12 months to December 2019, compared to 9 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a decrease of 33.3 per cent.

AAA 12

Section Three

Analysis: Road user groupsDrivers fatalities per annum

480

500

520

540

560

580

600

620

640

660

680

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 573 drivers died on Australian roads, compared to 522 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 9.8 per cent.

Passengers fatalities per annum

190

210

230

250

270

290

310

330

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Green

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 206 passengers died on Australian roads, compared with 204 in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 1.0 per cent.

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 13

Section Three

Pedestrians fatalities per annum

130

140

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, there were 159 pedestrian deaths on Australian roads, compared to 177 deaths in the previous corresponding period.

• This is a decrease of 10.2 per cent.

Motorcyclists fatalities per annum

160

170

180

190

200

210

220

230

240

250

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, there were 208 motorcyclist deaths on Australian roads, compared to 191 in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 8.9 per cent.

AAA 14

Section Three

Analysis: Road user groupsCyclists fatalities per annum

20

30

40

50

60

70

TrendActualTarget

201920182017201620152014201320122011

Dec’19

Red

• In the 12 months to December 2019, 39 cyclists died on Australian roads, compared to 35 deaths recorded in the previous corresponding period.

• This is an increase of 11.4 per cent.

BENCHMARKING OF THE NRSS 15

Section Four

Analysis: Road deaths by populationAnnual road deaths per 100,000 population

0 3 6 9 12 15

AUS

ACT*

NT

TAS

WA

SA

QLD

VIC

NSW 4.35

4.06

4.26

6.51

6.22

5.99

14.64

1.41

4.68

The National Road Safety Strategy does not include any fatality rate targets based on deaths per head of population in different jurisdictions. But fatality rates are still useful for determining priority areas. The data show that South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory have more road deaths per head of population than the national average.

Analysis: Potential lives saved Current

number of fatalities

Current fatality rate per 100,000 population

Number of fatalities at 4.06 per 100,000 population

Potential lives saved*

NSW 352 4.35 329 23

VIC 268 4.06 268 0

QLD 217 4.26 207 10

SA 114 6.51 71 43

WA 163 6.22 106 57

TAS 32 5.99 22 10

NT 36 14.64 10 26

ACT* 6 1.41 6 0

National 1,188 4.68 1,019 169

If the other jurisdictions matched the Victorian fatality rate of 4.06 per 100,000 population, 169 lives could be saved across Australia:

• 23 in New South Wales

• 10 in Queensland

• 43 in South Australia

• 57 in Western Australia

• 10 in Tasmania

• 26 in the Northern Territory.

* Any jurisdiction with a rate lower than Victoria’s (4.06) would not be anticipated to change its fatality rate.

Mailing Address:GPO Box 1555 Canberra ACT 2601

Address: 103 Northbourne Ave Canberra ACT 2601

02 6247 7311 @aaacomms www.aaa.asn.au

PRINTED AND AUTHORISED BY M.BRADLEY, AUSTRALIAN AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION, 103 NORTHBOURNE AVE CANBERRA ACT 2601.

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