Roads Australia calls for urgent action to reverse rising road toll on urban streets

• A new report from Roads Australia reveals that road deaths have risen over the past five years, as the nation falls behind its target to reduce road deaths by 50 per cent by 2030.
• Urban roads are a major part of the problem, with 40 per cent of road fatalities occurring on high-capacity urban roads. 
• Roads Australia is calling for an urgent review of this trend and further federal and state government support for councils to implement proven, low-cost safety measures that save lives. 

Action is needed to make Australia’s urban streets safer, as new data shows road deaths are rising and the nation is now off track to meet its 2030 target to halve road deaths.

The new Showcasing Safe Movement & Place report, released today by Roads Australia, reveals road fatalities have increased over the past five years instead of declining, putting Australia significantly behind its road safety commitments of reducing road deaths by 50 per cent by 2030, from 2018-2020 levels.

The report shows road fatalities are not confined to regional highways and freeways. Around one in four road deaths occur on local streets, while in Australia’s cities, 40 per cent of fatalities happen on high-capacity urban roads.¹ 

In 2025 alone, fatalities on roads with a 50 km/h speed limit surged by almost 20 per cent, with 23 more people killed in the 12 months to December.²

Vulnerable road users continue to be disproportionately affected, with and 13 per cent increase in pedestrian road deaths in 2025, compared to 2024 and a 32 per cent increase in cyclist deaths.²

To address the rising road toll in urban areas, Roads Australia is urging governments to review these trends and provide councils with the funding and expertise needed to implement proven, life-saving street safety measures. 

The Showcasing Safe Movement & Place report outlines solutions to make residential streets, high streets, town and city centres and shared streets safer – with the safety and movement of people on foot the priority.

Roads Australia CEO Ehssan Veiszadeh said the latest figures underscore an urgent need to rethink how urban streets are designed and managed.

“These deaths are not just statistics. They are parents, friends and children who never made it home after an ordinary trip to the shops, school or work,” Mr Veiszadeh said.

“This is a critical moment to ask how safe our urban roads really are, and if we’re doing enough to make them safer.” 

“At 50 km/h, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle has around a 90 per cent chance of death. At 40 km/h, the risk drops to approximately 40 per cent, and at 30 km/h, to just 10 per cent.

“Even small reductions in speed can save lives,” Mr Veiszadeh said. “Lower speeds dramatically improve a person’s chance of survival and allow motorists to stop and avoid a crash entirely, making streets safer for everyone, especially pedestrians, cyclists and children.

“These are practical, evidence-based solutions that work,” Mr Veiszadeh said. “If we are serious about meeting our 2030 road safety targets, we need to prioritise safer speeds and make our streets safer for everyone.”

 

Media contact: Katherine Danks | 0416 206 961