The nation's road safety crisis continues unabated as new figures reveal that national road deaths rose by 9.2 per cent in the 12 months to 31 August.
Australia's peak motoring body says the continuing rise in road fatalities underlines the urgency for the Commonwealth to deliver on its clear promise to use crucial road safety data to develop more effective responses for this crisis.
The latest Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) figures show 1,322 people died on Australian roads in the 12 months to 31 August - up from 1,211 in the previous corresponding period.
The figures reveal increases in NSW (deaths up 7.1%), Victoria (10.7%), Western Australia (5.2%), South Australia (2.0%) and Queensland (1.4%).
The Northern Territory saw a 288.2% surge in road deaths over the period. This is the second month in a row that the NT has set a new record for the deadliest 12-month period since the launch of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30.
Only Tasmania and the ACT had recorded 12-month declines in road deaths.
BITRE produces road fatality figures every month. It has been 41 months since it reported a decline in road deaths relative to the preceding 12-month periods.
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said the figures showed Australia's National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30, was failing to achieve its objective of halving road deaths by 2030.
"Road deaths are now 15.8 per cent higher than the average deaths from the beginning of 2018 to the end of 2020 - which is the Strategy's baseline figure," Mr Bradley said.
"We are now losing 110 lives each month. This trend is unacceptable, yet governments are not moving quickly to tackle this crisis.
"State and territory governments must release more data about crash causes, road conditions and policing. That would enable us to understand what's causing rising road deaths so we can develop more effective responses."
Earlier this year, the Federal Government agreed to insert data reporting clauses into its next five-year road funding agreement with the states. A Federation Funding Agreement signed by six of the eight states and territories has been released, but it offers no clarity on what road safety data will be collected, how the data will be used, or what deadlines are set for delivery and publication of the data.
"This is disappointing," Mr Bradley said.
"A crisis of this magnitude requires action and a clear statement of intent."
"With road deaths rising, month after month, and a federal election due in the first half of next year, the time has come to deliver on this commitment.
"All states and territories must get on board with an evidence-based approach to road safety,'' Mr Bradley said.
"Data sharing will reveal which road safety measures are the most effective, and the safety interventions that are most needed.
"It will not only save lives but will also guard against pork barrelling by revealing whether governments are funding roads to save lives or win votes in marginal electorates.
"The Queensland and Western Australian Governments have publicly agreed to provide road safety data, but other states have not fully committed to complete data transparency.''
Last October the AAA launched its Data Saves Lives road safety data transparency campaign, backed by the nation's motoring clubs, and 18 national organisations representing motorists, motorcyclists, truckers, pedestrians, doctors, insurers, road engineers and safety advocates.
The campaign touched a raw public nerve, with thousands of Australians contacting their local federal MP to call for reform.
