Transport NSW has urged motorists to drive safely over the Easter long weekend after five people were killed on the state’s roads for the same period last year.
There was a record number of fatalities for road users in Australia over the Easter period in 2024, according to the Department of Infrastructure and Transport.
Transport NSW has reported that five people were killed and 104 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents between March 29 to April 1, 2024.
Wollongong City Council road safety officer, Leanne Ledwidge said that driving on unfamiliar roads and speeding are the main reasons for the increase in crashes and fatalities over the holiday periods.
“Holiday periods we see more people travelling to destinations at the same time and drivers driving on unfamiliar roads to reach their holiday destination,” Mrs Ledwidge said.
Transport NSW has identified an increased risk on the roads from April 11 to April 27 due to Easter, ANZAC day and school holidays happening close together and has launched the #SafetyNeverTakesaHoliday campaign to encourage road users to stay safe during this period.
Road users should be prepared to experience delays throughout the holiday period, according to Mrs Ledwidge.
Usual safety methods include wearing a seatbelt, taking regular breaks and switching drivers should also be taken
Mrs Ledwidge said that all drivers are at an increased risk over the Easter long weekend, however young people are overrepresented in crash statistics year round. Drivers under 26 years old were involved in 27 per cent of crashes in 2023 according to the Transport NSW Centre for Road Safety.
4 times by Bridget Moore
NSW Health said that young drivers should be more aware of their risks and responsibilities.
According to the Young Driver Factbase, young drivers make up 25 per cent of road deaths which is more than any other age group.
“Young people are inexperienced drivers, tend to be risk takers, can be overconfident, subjected to peer pressure and therefore are overrepresented in fatality and injury crashes,” Mrs Ledwidge said.
Further advice for motorists can be found on the Transport NSW website.
Additional reporting by Skyla Yorke
