2022 has to be a wake-up call for all road users with the highest number of fatalities experienced in more than a decade.
It has been a heartbreaking year on our roads with 50 people losing their lives.
This is 15 more than the 35 fatalities in 2021 and 51 per cent above the five-year average.
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Michael Ferguson said just one death on our roads is one too many.
“We know the impact of these deaths affects families, friends and entire communities. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by these tragedies, particularly as the absence of loved ones is especially felt during the Christmas season,” Minister Ferguson said.
“In 2022 there were 255 serious injuries on our roads, up from 248 in 2021, but four per cent below the five-year average.
“These statistics show us that many challenges still lay ahead in our journey towards our target of zero serious injuries and deaths on Tasmanian roads.
“Achieving this vision will only happen if every single one of us accepts responsibility for road safety and plays our part in making our roads safer for all road users.”
The Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 sets out 42 key initiatives that the Government is implementing to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.
To prepare young Tasmanians for a lifetime of safe driving, the Rockliff Liberal Government has progressively introduced a package of enhancements to the driver graduated licensing system since December 2020.
This included increasing the number of required supervised driving hours in the learner phase and providing two free lessons with a driving instructor. This means that new drivers today are much better prepared than previous generations. But we cannot be complacent.
A new mobile speed detection camera program was also launched in 2022. While most drivers do the right thing, 5,579 speeding infringement notices have been issued since the cameras were launched on 30 September 2022.
Dangerous drivers will continue to be targeted on our roads as more cameras are introduced in 2023, with new camera technology detecting illegal mobile phone use and seatbelt noncompliance to be trialled early in 2023.
The new speed camera program is supported by the ‘Over is Over’ campaign, which challenges motorists to rethink their attitudes to speed and encourages them to adjust their behaviour by not driving over the speed limit, at any level. ‘Over is Over’ was one of many public education campaigns implemented in 2022 to encourage safer road use in Tasmania.
More Media Releases from Michael Ferguson
More Media Releases from the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport