visit raa.com.au
With 44 lives lost and 434 serious injuries on SA roads in the first six months of 2024, South Australia is currently not on track to reach the targets in the state’s road safety strategy.
RAA analysis of crash data from the first half of the year shows 434 serious injuries is the second-worst mid-year result for serious injuries in more than a decade (behind 2023).
In order to be on track to reach the Road Safety Strategy targets (50% reduction in deaths and 30% reduction in serious injuries by 2031) – SA would need to record less than 80 lives lost and 637 serious injuries for the full calendar year.
The data for the first six months of 2024 also shows that:
There have already been three more lives lost in the first half of July since RAA completed its mid-year analysis – taking the current total to 47 so far this year.
Almost every Australian state and territory’s rate of road trauma is trending in the wrong direction – with Tasmania and South Australia the only two states with a mid-year lives lost total that is below their five-year averages.
Nationally, lives lost for 2024 are tracking 7.7% higher than average.
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure said while SA was comparatively seeing a lower rate of road trauma than in 2023, the number of lives impacted by crashes this year was concerning.
“Behind every road trauma statistic is a real person who has had their life tragically cut short or permanently impacted by a crash – and the number of serious crashes so far in 2024 is devastating,” Mr Mountain said.
“Serious injuries in particular are still occurring at an alarming rate, well above where they would be if SA was on track to reach the targets set out in the SA Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan.
“434 serious injuries to start 2024 is alarming, and shows more needs to be done to get on top of this trend.
“Older drivers are overrepresented in crashes in the first half of 2024 – as they were last year as well.
“That should remind even experienced drivers not to be complacent behind the wheel, or for families to think about other options for older family members, such as public transport or carpooling.
“Overall, compared to the five years from 2014-18, between 2019-23 the average number of lives lost and serious injuries rose by 22% and 9% respectively – showing this has been a sustained trend in the wrong direction.”
Along with the Australian Automobile Association, RAA has been calling for more transparent and timely crash data and a nationally consistent approach to data reporting – to help inform strategies that reduce road trauma.