Australia road deaths are on track to rise for a sixth consecutive year in 2026, reversing decades of safety improvements and pushing the country further from its national target of halving fatalities by 2030.

Key Takeaways

  • The number of deaths recorded through September was the highest for that point in the year in 15 years.
  • Researchers identify risks involving vulnerable road users, vehicle size and drug-driving, while calling for better evidence.

Australia road deaths reverse a long decline

The number of people killed on Australian roads peaked in the 1970s and then fell for about four decades, alongside the introduction of seatbelt and drink-driving laws. The trend reversed in 2020.

Although deaths remain low compared with previous decades, the increase is moving Australia away from its targets of halving road deaths by 2030 and reaching zero by 2050. Population growth partly explains the higher death toll, while the rate per 100,000 people has remained relatively stable in recent years.

University of Melbourne associate professor Milad Haghani said the biggest increase in fatalities was among vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike riders.

Researchers point to several risks

Haghani said drugs are detected in the systems of nearly 17% of people involved in fatal crashes. Detection does not by itself establish that drug use caused a crash.

He also co-authored a study in 2026 that found each additional 10 centimetres of vehicle height was associated with an 11% increase in the odds of a pedestrian death. Larger, heavier vehicles can offer greater protection to their occupants while posing greater risks to pedestrians.

University of Western Australia professor Teresa Senserrick said Australia had fallen from the top 10 to just inside the top 20 best-performing OECD countries on road safety. She called for policymakers to consider changes including lower speed limits.

Calls for better data

Australian Automobile Association managing director Michael Bradley said gaps in information made it harder to assess what was working across states and territories. He pointed to a three-year lag in the serious crash data available, despite a national target to reduce serious injuries by 2030.

Senserrick said connected and autonomous vehicle technology was developing rapidly, but that replacing enough of the existing vehicle fleet would take a long time. She said continuing road safety policies remained important for meeting national targets.

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