Australia’s road death toll jumps with fatalities still higher than pre-pandemic

Tributes left at the scene of a fatal multi-car accident. Australia’s road death toll has increased by almost 6% in the past 12 months. Photograph: Rob Maccoll/AAP

Australian roads are becoming deadlier, with an almost 6% jump in road deaths in the past year as fatalities remain significantly higher than before the Covid pandemic and worse than long-term safety targets.

The latest road fatality figures, which cover the 12 months to 31 March, reveal 1,204 deaths on Australian roads – an annual increase of 5.9%.