INSURANCE giant RAC is urging road users to stay alert on WA roads after a devastating start to 2018, with six people already killed in crashes across the State.
RAC General manager of corporate affairs Will Golsby said although there had been a reduction in the number of deaths on roads in 2017, WA still had one of the worst fatality rates across the nation.
“Tragically, 158 people were killed on WA roads in 2017. with far more seriously injured,” he said.
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Mr Golsby said WA would record a fatality rate in 2017 of approximately six deaths per 100,000 people, while Victoria is set to record a rate of around four deaths per 100,000 people — 33 per cent lower than Western Australia.
“If WA matched Victoria’s 2017 road fatality rate, more than 50 people would still be alive today,” he said.
“Fatalities in regional WA remain unacceptably high, with road-users being five times more likely to be killed on regional roads last year.
“Less than 20 per cent of the State’s population reside in regional communities, yet in 2017 these areas experienced more than half of all road fatalities.”
He said every death on WA roads had a long-lasting impact on family, friends and the community.
“Every life lost or serious injury on WA roads is one too many and each has a lasting ripple effect in the community,” he said.
“As a State, we need to see through the statistics and do everything we can to help bring WA’s road fatality and serious injury rate down.”
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