South Australia leads the nation for the biggest increase in lives lost from road crashes, new data has revealed just days out from Easter.
If the current trajectory is maintained, 160 people could lose their lives on South Australian roads by the end of 2023.
In the past 20 years, the worst road toll was recorded in 2005 with 147 deaths.
The horror start to the year has seen 40 lives lost compared with just 19 at the same time in 2022.
New government data - compiled from across the country - shows South Australia is the leader of only three states to record a lives lost increase, with four other states and territories reporting decreases.
Shadow Minister for Road Safety, Vincent Tarzia, said the Opposition is calling on the Malinauskas Labor Government to form a bipartisan road safety summit.
“To discover that South Australia is on a trajectory to record the most lives lost from road crashes in the past 20 years is shocking,” Mr Tarzia said.
“We are calling on the Malinauskas Labor Government to form a bipartisan road safety summit where the best and brightest minds can come together and work quickly to curb this preventable carnage. To stop these tragic incidents, we need an all-hands-on deck approach because the current strategy clearly isn’t working.
“And we need to see more resources poured into preventive measures as we plead with South Australians to drive safely over the Easter long weekend.
“When lives are on the line, you can never have enough targeted road safety campaigns and initiatives to ensure South Australians are making the right choices behind the wheel on and on motorbikes.
“Everyone deserves to arrive home safely.”
