March 16, 2023
Queensland Senator Susan McDonald, has joined a push by the Australian Automobile Association for urgent federal action to identify the causes of bad crashes in rural and regional areas.
Senator McDonald said AAA analysis in Queensland showed regional drivers were dying at three times the rate of metropolitan drivers.
Nationwide, regional drivers were dying about five times the rate of city drivers.
Senator McDonald called for State-based crash-cause data – including if road conditions were a factor – to be collated and shared nationally so federal road funding could be better targeted at regional Australia.
“Road fatalities and injuries in regional Australia are over-represented, and when you look at the state of regional roads, there is strong evidence road conditions are a contributing factor to this death rate disparity,” she said.
“The Federal Infrastructure Minister should implement a uniform national crash data system, including road conditions as a causative factor.”
