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On the road

Road safety: a shared responsibility

01 April, 2026
4 min

Road crashes and fatalities have devastating impacts. Here, we discuss the factors involved, ways to increase road safety, how telematics is being used and the basics of Compulsory Third Party Insurance.

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  • In Australia and abroad, thousands of road users die or suffer life-altering injuries because of road crashes every year.
  • Many factors contribute to road crashes, including driver distraction, speed limits, vehicle characteristics, and more.
  • Some steps to help increase driver safety include getting adequate rest before driving, avoiding drugs and alcohol, refraining from using a mobile phone while driving and following the road rules.
  • Research suggests telematics can help influence safer driving behaviour in certain circumstances.
  • CTP Insurance is a mandatory insurance for all Australians wanting to register a vehicle.
  • CTP Insurance can help mitigate the financial impacts of causing death or injury to someone as a result of a motor vehicle accident.

A leading cause of death and serious injury

Road safety is a global issue. According to the World Health Organisation, 1.9 million people die each year because of a road accident, and between 20 and 50 million people suffer non-fatal injuries, many resulting in disability1. Here in Australia, around 1,200 lives are lost each year, with 40,000 seriously injured2.

In addition to the devastating emotional impact, these incidents come at a great economic cost to individuals, families and nations; arising from the injured requiring care and treatment, and lost productivity from families needing to take time off from work to care for hurt loved ones. But the greatest cost is the cost of life, where the lives of road users are cut tragically short.

The risk factors involved in road crashes

Road crashes don’t just impact people who drive cars. Anyone who uses the road is at risk, including cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. Research findings point to a myriad of factors3 that contribute to road crashes, including:

Driver behaviour

Impaired, distracted and dangerous driving frequently contribute to the devastating toll of death and injury on our roads. This includes, but isn’t limited to:

  • fatigue
  • mobile phone use
  • drug and alcohol use
  • disregard for road rules.

Type of road

55% of road fatalities occur in regional areas of Australia. Speed is part of the equation, but the surface condition, line markings, and lack of barrier treatments also play a role.

Vehicle

The type, size and condition of a vehicle can influence the severity of a crash. Heavy vehicles (like trucks) and motorcycle crashes often result in more serious injuries.

Speed limits

Higher speed limits are directly correlated with more severe injuries and fatalities in road crashes3. For every 1% increase in a vehicle's average speed, the risk of a fatal crash occurring increases by 4%.

Age and gender

Young people aged 17-25 are also prone to accidents due to inexperience and a higher likelihood of risky driving behaviours, like distracted driving from checking a mobile phone, playing music too loud, or speeding.

There are also differences depending on gender. Male drivers face a greater risk of severe crashes, due to risky driving behaviours, while females are impacted more by inexperience and vehicle defects.

These are just a snapshot of the many factors involved; the weather, non-use of helmets, seat-belts and child restraints, and even daydreaming, also contribute to injury and death on our roads.

So what can be done about it?

Methods to help improve road safety

Amongst changes to infrastructure, refinement of speed limits and adjustment of road rules where required, drivers also need to play their part in helping to keep themselves and others safe on the road.

  • Ensure an adequate night’s rest before taking a long drive to help reduce fatigue.
  • Take regular 15-minute breaks on lengthy road trips.
  • Book a taxi, ride-share or use public transport to get around if you’ve had a drink.
  • Pull over in a safe spot or wait until the end of your journey to check or respond to emails, messages or notifications on your phone.
  • Follow the road rules relevant to your state or territory.

Amongst these, a new technology can also be adopted to help influence safer driving habits: gamified telematics.

The role of telematics in road safety

Telematics refers to a type of technology that collects and interprets data collected from vehicles to monitor driving patterns and behaviours. It can be used to track things like braking, acceleration and phone use.

Recently, a literature review of 22 studies was undertaken to explore the impact of telematics on road safety. The findings indicate the telematic systems used in various trials had some positive effects in certain scenarios, helping to reduce harsh braking, speeding and distracted driving. Some even suggested a reduction in crash-rate risk as a result of the system.

While the research is still somewhat limited and sample sizes remain modest, such findings show promise; exposure to post-trip feedback and the ability to review one’s driving performance has the potential to positively impact driving habits and safety on the road.

Did you know?

We have a telematics tool called Safer Journeys that’s available to NRMA Insurance Help Hub customers, accessible via the NRMA Insurance app. Using Safer Journeys doesn't affect your premium, policy, or claims. To learn more about the feature and how it works, visit Safer Journeys.

What kind of insurance can help cover injuries caused by road crashes?

Compulsory Third Party Insurance (CTP), known as a Green Slip in NSW and MAI Insurance in the ACT, helps protect drivers from the financial impact of causing injury or death to someone in a motor vehicle incident.

In Australia, everyone needs to have CTP insurance to register a vehicle. However, CTP is regulated at a state/territory level. This means the way indemnity, liability and compensation of how motor accidents resulting in injury and death are handled can differ slightly depending on which state/territory you’re in.

For a deep dive on CTP according to state and territory, see: How CTP works in Australia.

Helping protect you on the road

Start preparing for the unexpected and explore NRMA Car Insurance options today.

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1 World Health Organization. (2023). Road traffic injuries. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/road-traffic-injuries

2 National Road Safety Strategy. (n.d.). National Road Safety Strategy. Retrieved March 19, 2026, from https://www.roadsafety.gov.au/

3 Soltani, A., Afshari, S., & Amiri, M. A. (2025). Projecting Road Traffic Fatalities in Australia: Insights for Targeted Safety Interventions. Injury, 112166–112166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2025.112166

All content on the NRMA Insurance Blog is intended to be general in nature and does not constitute and is not intended to be professional advice. 

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