The NSW government is urging people across the state to include being safer on the roads in their list of New Year’s resolutions for the coming year. As the state’s road toll continues to rise despite the efforts of police and other authorities, it’s likely that there will be more car accident compensation claims as well.
Whether you were injured as a passenger, driver or even as a pedestrian, there are ways to claim for compensation based on the injuries you may have suffered. The growing road toll means it’s more important than ever to be aware of your rights as a victim.
What caused the higher road toll?
Transport for NSW confirmed that 2016’s road toll was higher than the previous year by 34 people. In total, 384 people lost their lives on the roads across NSW. Centre for Road Safety Executive Director Bernard Carlon noted the statistics are particularly distressing after the state achieved its lowest toll ever – 307 – in 2014. Since then, the toll has only risen.
It wasn’t just the overall toll that rose, but many of the separate categories within it too. More people died on country roads than in the previous year, 12 more younger drivers were killed and pedestrian deaths increased to 74. Mr Carlon believes there are clear reasons for these increases.
“The increases have been the highest in the country regions with significant increases in fatigue related crashes and excessive speeding,” he explained.
However, there were some improvements. Fewer women died on NSW roads than in 2015, and the number of pedal cycle deaths was at its lowest point ever, with just five people killed in these accidents.
Some of the behaviours most likely to result in car accident injuries and fatalities include:
- Drunk driving
- Drivers and passengers failing to wear seatbelts
- Unsafe/illegal mobile phone use
- Failure to take rest breaks
- Ignoring speed limits
There are a number of NSW Police campaigns that focus on helping people change these behaviours, including Towards Zero which focuses specifically on fatalities. Other campaigns attempt to educate people on avoiding mobile phone use, staying safe as a pedestrian and reducing a range of other actions that can result in car accident injuries or fatalities.
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, it’s important to get in touch with compensation specialists not matter what your role in the incident was. Get in touch with the team at Gerard Malouf and Partners for a free consultation about your case.
