With four deaths on Tasmanian roads last week alone, police are pleading with all road users to slow down and take responsibility on our roads.

Acting Inspector Justin Lawson, who is the State Road Safety Coordinator for Tasmania Police, said that over the past decade, Tasmania has faced a tragic toll from road crashes, with more than 3,000 people being seriously injured or killed on our roads.

“These numbers mean that on average, 35 Tasmanians are dying from road trauma each year.

“A total of 26 people have lost their lives on Tasmanian roads this year, with factors including speed, alcohol consumption, fatigue, and distracted driving continuing to feature strongly as contributors.

“Sadly, another four people have died in the past week alone,” he said.

“This compares to 25 fatalities at the same time last year. In addition, a total of 223 people have been seriously injured in 2024, compared with 242 in 2023.”
Acting Inspector Lawson said that inattention and high-risk driving behaviour were the most common contributors to fatal and serious crashes, along with speeding, drink/drug driving, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts.

“The devastating consequences of fatal and serious motor vehicle crashes extend beyond the immediate physical injuries – they ripple through families, friends, and communities, leaving long-lasting emotional and psychological scars,” Acting Inspector Lawson said.

“Each incident represents a life altered, a family heartbroken, and a community left counting the cost.

“We implore drivers not to become a statistic. We all have a choice when we get behind the wheel and we call upon all Tasmanians to join us in making our roads safer.

“Whether you are a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or cyclist, your choices matter and can assist in reducing the number of crashes.”

“We will continue to conduct targeted and random patrols on rural roads to curb high-risk behaviours like speeding, drink driving, inattention and not wearing seatbelts, because we know these factors overwhelmingly contribute to serious and fatal crashes on our roads.

“We also encourage members of the public to report dangerous driving and traffic offending to police on 131 444, or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.”

“You can also report dangerous driving through our website at https://www.police.tas.gov.au/services-online/dangerous-driving-report/”