Australia has reached a 70-year high in road fatalities, with 1,326 deaths recorded over the last 12 months. This marks the fifth consecutive year of record-breaking traffic deaths. July was particularly lethal, seeing approximately 110 deaths, a 4.6% increase over the five-year July average.
Professor Stuart Newstead of the Monash University Accident Research Centre is advocating for lower speed limits as a primary solution. He warned that modern vehicle safety technology has limitations, noting that cars are typically only tested for regulatory safety up to 64 km/h. He cautioned that impacts at speeds such as 100 km/h against fixed objects are catastrophic and beyond the design capabilities of safety features.
Newstead cited a successful trial in Victoria as evidence. In 2019, speed limits on 33 local roads were reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h. Over a two-year period, serious crashes on those roads dropped by 68%, falling from 19 to 6 incidents. The reduced limits were made permanent in 2022.
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Australia · Monash University Accident Research Centre · Stuart Newstead · Victoria