Australia’s road death toll jumps with fatalities still higher than pre-pandemic

National automotive body says poor data collection is limiting authorities' ability to formulate an evidence-based response

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Australian roads are becoming deadlier, with an almost 6% jump in road deaths in the past year as fatalities remain significantly higher than before the Covid pandemic and worse than long-term safety targets.

The latest road fatality figures, which cover the 12 months to 31 March, reveal 1,204 deaths on Australian roads - an annual increase of 5.9%.

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