Road safety statistics

The AAA tracks five targets from the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) 2021-30.

The NRSS aims to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent and serious injuries by 30 per cent by 2030, compared to the baselines, which are the averages of road deaths and serious injuries between 2018 and 2020. This forms part of the broader 2050 Vision Zero target of zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

The NRSS also aims to, by 2030: achieve zero deaths of children aged seven years and under; zero deaths in city CBD areas; and zero deaths on all national highways and on high-speed roads covering 80 per cent of travel across the network.

While the NRSS has no specific target reductions for individual states/territories, the AAA measures progress of jurisdictions in achieving a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths by 2030 against what it would be if they were on a smooth trajectory towards the NRSS headline target. The progress of individual jurisdictions in reaching zero deaths by 2050 is also measured in line with 2050 Vision Zero.

The NRSS targets an approximate reduction in the national fatality rate per capita to less than 2 road deaths per 100,000 population. The data indicate Australia is not on track to achieve this target.

Fatality rates in individual states and territories are useful in determining priority areas.

While the NRSS has no specific target reductions for individual road user group, the AAA measures progress in achieving a 50 per cent reduction in road deaths by 2030 among road user groups against what it would be if these groups were on a smooth trajectory towards the NRSS headline target. The progress of individual road user groups towards reaching zero deaths by 2050 is also measured in-line with 2050 Vision Zero.