MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Jim Lloyd MP Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads 24 January 2005 L7/05

ROAD DEATHS IN 2004 AMONGST LOWEST SINCE 1950 Fatalities on Australian roads were 1.5 per cent lower in 2004 compared with 2003, Minister for Local Government, Territories and Roads, Jim Lloyd, said today. In releasing figures from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the Road Deaths Australia December 2004 bulletin shows there were 1,596 people killed on the roads in 2004 - 25 fewer than in 2003 and amongst the lowest number of road crash deaths recorded since 1950. "These figures are encouraging but there is no room for complacency," Mr Lloyd said. "The Australian Government's National Road Safety Strategy has the objective of reducing the road crash death rate and these figures show the fatality rate is on the way down, but we need to do more. Every death on our roads is a tragedy and every death is avoidable," Mr Lloyd said. The National Road Safety Action Plan 05/06, which took effect from January 1 2005, is the latest in a series of rolling two-year plans introduced under the National Road Safety Strategy 2001-2010. Under the ten year strategy, Mr Lloyd said the Government's objective was to reduce the national road fatality rate from 7.9 deaths per 100,000 people to no more than 5.6 deaths per 100,000 by 2010. The figures also showed that road deaths of drivers aged between 17 and 24 had risen slightly by 1.8 per cent, from 385 in 2003 to 392 in 2004. Mr Lloyd said these figures only highlighted the need for better driver education for the younger age group. "Last year, the Australian Government, in conjunction with the NSW and Victorian Governments, took a leading role in setting up a major driver education trial, where 14,000 young drivers from NSW and Victoria will undertake special driver training after they receive their P-plates," Mr Lloyd said. "At a cost of $5 million, the course is aimed at reducing the shocking number of young deaths on Australia's roads. "This, along with school-based safety education, broader public education on road safety, and effective enforcement, will help contribute to better outcomes and, more importantly, less fatalities on our roads." In the last five years, the number of road deaths each year has edged slowly downwards. Since 1999 there were: 1,596 road crash deaths in 2004 compared with 1,764 in 1999; 7.94 road crash deaths per 100,000 people in 2004 compared with 9.32 in 1999; 1.18 road crash deaths per 10,000 registered motor vehicles in 2004 compared with 1.44 in 1999. Mr Lloyd said fewer pedestrians and motor vehicle passengers have been killed each year on the roads since 1999, but there had been no significant change in the numbers of drivers, motorcyclists and pedal cyclists killed. The breakdown of deaths by states and territories for 2004 compared with 2003 (in brackets) is: New South Wales 522 (539) Victoria 343 (330) Queensland 311 (310) South Australia 139 (157) Western Australia 178 (180) Tasmania 58 (41) Northern Territory 35 (53) Australian Capital Territory 10 (11) Road Deaths Australia Monthly Bulletin December 2004 is available at www.atsb.gov.au Media Contacts Fiona Telford ( Mr Lloyd's Office ) 02 6277 7060   URL: http://www.ministers.dotars.gov.au/jl/releases/2005/January/l7_2005.htm