Name: Authorities urge safer driving after spike in national road toll
Uploaded: 2026-01-02T06:24:15.935Z
Duration: 1 min 48 s
Description: Drivers are being urged to take more care on the roads after a shocking year for the national road toll, with more than 1300 lives lost in 2025 and speed still the leading cause of deadly crashes.

Drivers are being urged to take more care on the roads after a shocking year for the national road toll, with more than 1300 lives lost in 2025 and speed still the leading cause of deadly crashes.

New South Wales

Australian authorities have reported that at least 1,300 lives were lost on the nation's roads in 2025, marking a significant increase in fatalities compared to previous years. New South Wales recorded the highest number of deaths, with 355 fatalities, 28 more than the prior year, and speeding identified as the leading cause of deadly crashes.

Other states such as Queensland and Victoria also saw increases in road deaths, while Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT, and the Northern Territory reported fewer fatalities than in 2024. Authorities are urging drivers to adopt safer habits, particularly during the busy holiday period, with the ultimate goal of reducing the road toll to zero.

Authorities urge safer driving after spike in national road toll

Dangerous driving, putting lives at risk, running red lights, riding on the roof, distracted or drug-affected. It's this type of behaviour which authorities say is pushing the road toll in the wrong direction. Australia-wide, at least 1,300 lives were lost last year. 2025 was not a good year. New South Wales leading the grim statistics. 355 people died on the state's roads last year, 28 more than the year prior. With speeding the main factor in deadly crashes, claiming 134 lives. It's not necessarily the egregious speeding that we see, it's the casual speeding a couple of kilometres over, which can mean the difference between survival or a funeral. Queensland's road toll soared to one of the highest levels seen in nearly two decades, while Victoria also recorded an increase, 288 lives lost. We are all facing the same challenges and I think what's really important from a state-by-state perspective is that the states and territories work together. Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT and the NT all saw fewer deaths compared to 2024, but the ultimate goal is zero. That is the unacceptable figure. The holiday period is typically the busiest and one of the most dangerous times on Australia's roads, with authorities urging drivers not to be complacent and to shift into a safer gear for the year ahead. Every time you take to the wheel, every time you're on our roads, don't just think about yourself, but drive so that others survive. And hopefully reverse the road toll in 2026. Tallulah Thompson, 10 News.

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