When driving down the road you may not know what could happen at the next turn, even if you abide by the rules of the road. Accidents are caused by various reasons with many proving to be fatal. Although Aussies still have a long way to go as a nation, a decrease in fatal car accidents is a step in the right direction.
Accidents on Aussie roads decrease by 5.2%
Abiding to the laws of the road, careful driving, and the investment in safety technology in cars has helped steer Australia in the right direction when it comes to decreasing road crash deaths. According to BITRE, there were 1,226 road crash deaths that occurred in 2017 which was a 5.2% decrease from the previous year.
It comes as no surprise that most of these accidents occur during peak hour and over the weekend. It should be noted that as a nation, Australians are moving on the up overall with the data showing a 2.0% decrease per annum. However, this is a different story for some states that have seen the reverse effect with accidents increasing.
Aussies below the age of 40 have improved
The generalisation of young people behind the wheel is that they are fast, reckless, and not afraid to dismiss you with the finger for your driving skills. However, this is contrary to what the data reveals. BITRE found that people below 40 improved by having less car accidents. The data does remind us that this should be taken with a pinch of salt since people aged 17 – 25 still remained above the overall average.
It could come as a surprise that 40-65 year old's have the highest death rates on Aussie roads despite having a decrease of 1.2% average p.a. When it came to gender, Australian males still maintained a high death rate at 894 males in 2017, which more than double the number of female fatalities which were recorded at 328.
Pedestrians are no longer safe
Pedestrians may assume that walking on the sidewalk will guarantee their safety at all times, but this has been proven to be on the contrary with statistics showing that pedestrian fatalities have been on the increase from 162 deaths to 182. There may be a few situations that are out of your control as a pedestrian, but ensuring that you are always alert is essential. This means avoiding distractions from your phone or listening to loud music that can prevent you from hearing what is happening around you.
With owning vehicle comes great responsibility that can affect you and other around you. Checking to see if your car has the necessary safety features that have been rated by ANCAP will let you know whether your car is roadworthy.
If you find yourself in a situation where you need an upgrade by taking out a car loan to finance your new wheels, always remember to check the cars safety rating to ensure that you and your loved ones are protected at all times.