Across the state there are currently around 6.9 million drivers and we want to see every single one of those people make it to 2026.
The NSW Government is issuing a call to drivers to make the safest decisions on the road in 2025 and help reduce the annual road toll.
NSW recorded a total of 340 road deaths in 2024 – the same number of people lost in 2023. Data suggests there was a slight moderation in the second half of the year as the Government introduced a string of measures to tighten road safety, including the July 1 introduction of seatbelt cameras.
People lost on roads remains too high
However, the number of people lost on our roads remains too high and the Government is focused on building on those measures to increase safety and reduce the trauma impacting our community.
Overall, fatalities remain below the pre-COVID era and speed remains the biggest killer on NSW roads.
In 2024, 136 people died in crashes where speed was a factor.
In 2025 the number of locations where mobile speed cameras can be positioned on state roads will be doubled and there will be a trial of average speed cameras for private vehicles in two regional areas.
Deaths on regional roads down
As in recent years, far too many deaths are happening in regional NSW. In 2024, 234 people died on regional roads which was down 2 per cent on the previous year.
Fatigue remains a stubborn problem, with 77 fatalities attributed to driver tiredness last year.
Alcohol and drugs are also preventable issues that factor in too many deaths. However, in the first nine months of last year, the preliminary figures show a decrease from 2023 of 12 per cent for alcohol and 20 per cent for drugs.
As the NSW Government continues to invest in life saving initiatives for all road users and the number of licence holders on the road continues to grow, there have been a number of areas of improvement in road trauma this year.
Bicycle riders death lowest ever – rise in deaths of motorcyclists
Deaths of bicycle riders have hit the equal lowest level in the state’s history since detailed records began in 1960, with five cyclists dying in 2024, and pedestrian deaths are lower than in previous years.
There has been a concerning rise in deaths of motorcyclists with 67 deaths, an increase of 34 per cent when compared to 2023 figures – in response, the NSW Government is changing the Graduated Licensing Scheme for motorcyclists to improve novice rider training, testing standards, and licence requirements.
Also, legislation will be introduced in 2025 to enable mandatory drug and alcohol testing for drivers involved in a crash which results in grievous bodily harm.
The Government will also continue to roll out around $1 billion in lifesaving infrastructure upgrades on regional and metropolitan roads through its Towards Zero Safer Roads Program and the joint federal/ state funded Road Safety Program.
2024 measure continues in 2025
Measures introduced in 2024 which will continue or expand in 2025. They include: the trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles in 2025; doubling roadside enforcement sites used for mobile speed cameras, with an additional 2,700 new sites where a camera can be deployed. Total enforcement hours will remain the same; seatbelt enforcement via the state’s existing mobile phone cameras; the demerit point return trial that encourages safe driving; releasing more ratings for bicycle helmets as part of its star rating system.
Other measures will include: removing a loophole to force all motorists driving on a foreign licence to convert to a NSW licence within six months; implementing recommendations from the Demerit Point Integrity Taskforce to stamp out rorting of the system by mainly visiting foreign nationals, and; signing the National Road Safety Data Agreement with the Commonwealth.
Demerit Point Return Scheme
Many drivers will welcome the the Demerit Point Return Scheme that will reward motorists who’ve maintained a clean driving record for a 12-month period by scrubbing a demerit point from their record.
Minister for Roads, John Graham, said: too many lives were lost on NSW roads in 2024. ‘We should never become desensitised to the annual figure or accept that it should be as high as 340 as it has been for the last two years running. Every one of these 340 represents a family and network of loved ones and friends who will never be the same for having lost someone.
‘If there is a bright spot in the data in 2024 it is that the sharply higher trend of fatalities recorded in 2023 has not continued and we did not see another increase in the total.
‘We are committed to building on measures already introduced like switching mobile phone detection cameras on to seatbelt detection, conducting a trial of average speed cameras for light vehicles and a range of measures to ensure drivers on foreign licences or visiting visas are playing by the same rules as everyone else.
‘I want to urge all drivers who qualify, to remain offence-free from January 16 to receive a demerit point removed from their licence. The more people who succeed, the more overall road safety is enhanced.’
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