Australia’s rising road toll: how the pandemic and a love of big cars are putting lives at risk

Data shows an increase in speeding and running red lights in NSW and Victoria. ‘People have less patience with traffic now after the roads were much quieter for years,’ Prof Stuart Newstead says. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

After decades of progress that made Australian roads considerably safer, fatalities have been steadily increasing in recent years – and research suggests the pandemic, as well as a love affair with large four-wheel drives, may be to blame.

Data released by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) on Sunday to mark national road safety week painted an alarming picture. Not only are all states – bar New South Wales – unlikely to meet long term safety targets, road fatalities are increasing.