2023 the deadliest year on Australia’s roads in more than half a decade, data shows

Australia’s road deaths increased by more than 6% compared with last year, Australian Automobile Association data shows. Photograph: Blake Sharp-Wiggins/The Guardian

This year was the deadliest on Australia’s roads in five and a half years, with the road death toll reaching 1,253 – the highest since 1,270 people were killed in the 12 months to March 2018, according to the nation’s peak motoring body.

Upon releasing the data, the Australian Automobile Association accused governments of kicking road safety “down the road” after federal, state and territory transport ministers met a fortnight ago to discuss their next five-year partnership on road infrastructure projects but failed to make progress on data transparency when it comes to road deaths.