Australia’s road toll climbs despite record speeding fines

Australia’s national road toll is rising sharply despite more speed camera fines being handed out than ever before, prompting fresh calls for a rethink of the nation’s road safety strategy.

According to the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), 1353 people died on the nation’s roads in the 12 months to 31 August 2025 – the highest annual toll since 2010.

That figure is 4.3 per cent higher than the year prior, and a staggering 18.5 per cent increase since all state and territory governments signed the current National Road Safety Strategy in 2021.

The strategy, which aimed to halve road deaths by 2030, is now tracking in the opposite direction. August 2025 alone saw 118 deaths – 25.8 per cent above the monthly average since 2020.

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AAA managing director Michael Bradley said the figures prove Australia’s current approach isn’t working.

“The numbers show Australia’s current approach to road trauma reduction is clearly not working and we can’t expect different results by doing more of the same,” Mr Bradley said.

“Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy is delivering strong increases in road trauma, not the promised reductions and it’s time all governments came to the table to assess what’s gone so wrong, and what corrective steps are now needed.”

The AAA wants the Commonwealth to initiate independent, “no-blame” investigations into emerging crash trends and establish a permanent national body to interrogate safety data, identify causes, and recommend corrective measures.

The increases aren’t uniform. Some states and territories have managed to reduce fatalities, while others are experiencing sharp spikes.

Despite recording the nation’s biggest percentage drop, the Northern Territory still has the highest fatality rate at 16 deaths per 100,000 residents – more than three times the national average of 4.9.

One of the most alarming statistics is the sharp rise in pedestrian fatalities. 206 pedestrians were killed in the past 12 months, up nearly 50 per cent since the strategy was adopted. That’s the highest figure for this measure since 2007, with spikes in WA, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, and NSW.

Female road deaths also rose sharply – up 18 per cent year-on-year – while male deaths, which still account for the majority, edged up slightly by 0.4 per cent.

The worsening toll comes as Australians are hit with more speeding fines than ever before. Data from state governments show speed camera revenue is at record highs in NSW, Victoria, and Queensland.

For example, Victoria’s road safety camera program issued more than 1.7 million fines in the last financial year, the highest in its history.

Data for 2024 shows New South Wales issued more than 900,000 speeding fines, of which about 80 per cent were from cameras. Queensland tallied almost 800,000 speeding fines in 2024, with a similar high proportion from cameras.

In 2024, nationally:

• 10.3 million random breath tests were conducted, with 57,801 positive results (0.6 per cent positive rate)
• 500,683 roadside drug tests were conducted, with 52,411 positive results (10.5 per cent positive rate)
• 3.3 million speeding fines were issued: 544,087 by police (16.4 per cent) and 2,779,244 by cameras (83.6 per cent)
• 330,926 mobile phone use fines were issued: 40,931 by police (12.4 per cent) and 289,995 by cameras (87.6 per cent)
• 183,315 seatbelt non-compliance fines were issued: 22,655 by police (12.4 per cent) and 160,659 by cameras (87.6 per cent)
• 51,150 fines were issued for unlicensed driving, as well as 56,502 charges (offences which may require appearance in court) and 4351 arrests

Yet despite the unprecedented enforcement, fatalities continue to climb. Road safety advocates say the figures raise questions about whether camera-based enforcement is targeting the right risks.

Critics argue governments have become overly reliant on speed cameras as a safety solution – and as a source of revenue – while neglecting other measures such as road design improvements, targeted enforcement of high-risk behaviours (like distracted and drug-affected driving), and better post-crash care.

As an example, while Queensland saw its road toll increase by more than seven per cent, the police managed to charge motorists $465 million in traffic fines for the financial year 2024, almost three times the $171.2 million it racked up in financial year 2020.  

NSW is no better with a 16 per cent increase in the road toll, while according to Revenue NSW, the number of fines (traffic, parking, seatbelt and mobile) has significantly increased. 

The AAA says the situation demands urgent action from the Commonwealth.

“The numbers show Australia’s current approach to road trauma reduction is clearly not working and we can’t expect different results by doing more of the same,” Mr Bradley said.

With Australia now recording its deadliest 12-month toll in 15 years, pressure is mounting on policymakers to acknowledge that simply issuing more fines isn’t driving the cultural and behavioural change the National Road Safety Strategy promised.