National Road Safety Week 2025
Published on Posted onPlease note that this post was written for Victorian audiences and the information within may not apply to other regions.
National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative that aims to highlight the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. This project comes from the Safer Australian Highways and Roads Group (SARAH), which was established by President Peter Frazer following the death of his daughter, Sarah, who was killed in a road crash on the Hume Highway in 2012. Each year National Road Safety Week asks road users to make a pledge to use the road with others’ safety in mind.
Australia’s road death statistics
Each day, about three people are killed on our roads, while hundreds of others are severely injured. To put this into perspective, 1,284 people have lost their lives on the road in the past 12 months (105 in March alone), and nearly 44,000 are seriously injured or left fighting for their lives. Traffic injury is also the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24.
The fatality rate for the past 12 months stands at 4.7 deaths per 100,00 people. While this is a slight improvement from the previous year (301 road deaths so far this year compared to 318 last year) this number is still drastically too high.
These statistics are very distressing. It’s important to remember the impact of road trauma goes beyond just the victims and extends to the family, friends and emergency personnel and healthcare staff. The impact also goes beyond physical injury, with the psychological damages done to the victims are their loved ones still being just as traumatic. Unsafe driving and unsafe vehicles are never worth the impact it can have on someone’s life. We have to share the road safely.
With about 20 million registered vehicles in Australia, it’s as important as ever to remain alert and aware on the road. As we see with the country’s road death statistics, road trauma is at epidemic proportions. When driving, slow down and look out for pedestrians. Give cyclists and motorcyclists the space needed to be safe. Slow down and protect those who protect and assist us. Be alert and drive to the conditions.
Car safety checklist
It’s always important to keep your car suitable for the road. The RACV has some great tips for regular car maintenance. At a minimum, you should always be keeping on top of servicing your vehicle. You should also be ensuring your car is up to the required standards for the following:
- Service your car
- Check your tyres
- Check all car fluid levels
- Climate Control
- Check lights
- Clean car inside & out
- Limit Distractions
- Transmission, clutch and CV joints
- Seatbelts and windscreen wipers
If you’re unfortunate enough to be injured in a motor vehicle accident, you may be eligible to lodge a claim for compensation. Getting compensation following an accident can be a complex journey, so we recommend seeking legal advice.
At Zaparas Lawyers, we see the impacts of road trauma every day, and we understand how unexpected and traumatic road and transport accidents can be. That’s why, as well as advocating on behalf of road accident victims, we’re also focused on road safety awareness and education.
Feel free to contact our friendly team for any questions or to book in a free no-obligation appointment.
