Concerted national action is needed to address a spike in the fatal road toll, Australia's peak motoring body says.
More than 1,500 people died on the nation's roads during 2009, an increase of nearly 60 on the previous year.
"The sharp increase in the 2009 road toll is a tragedy," Australian Automobile Association technical director Craig Newland said in a statement on Friday.
The higher toll showed the need for some leadership in recognising the scale of the problem and bringing targeted road safety solutions to reality, he said.
The association estimates the economic costs of road trauma at $17 billion annually.
"With five people dying every day on Australian roads and 75 hospitalised, the entire community must understand the fact everyone has to contribute to get the fatality rate down," Mr Newland said.
The association wants the Australian Transport Council to move quickly to develop the next 10-year national road safety strategy.
The current strategy expires this year having fallen short of its original target of reducing road fatalities by 40 per cent.
A new strategy required safer road infrastructure, increased vehicle safety and safer driver behaviour, the association said.
Front page
RSS Feed