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Road toll rising – AAA

Recent statistics released by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) reveal that the road toll is rising.

The AAA is concerned that the toll is not decreasing, especially considering improvements in car safety and law enforcement.

“A rise in the road toll is simply shocking when you consider improvements in vehicle safety over the years,” AAA executive director Andrew McKellar said in a statement.

The road toll has increased by 3.3 per cent, from 1,288 in the year leading up to September 2011 to 1,331 in the twelve months to September 2012.

Mr McKellar is worried that the government will fall behind road safety targets. He wants to see a serious commitment to decreasing the number of fatal car accidents in this nation.

“Australia is in danger of falling behind the National Road Safety Strategy target of reducing deaths and serious injuries by 30 per cent by 2020,” he said.

“Urgent and coordinated action is required by governments to ensure we get back on track.”

In a state by state comparison, the largest number of fatalities occurred in New South Wales – 399, up from 364 in the previous year (a 9.6 per cent increase).

However the state that recorded the largest increase in fatalities was Northern Territory, having jumped up 35.9 per cent from 39 deaths to 53.

Queensland, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory also all recorded rises in the road toll.

Additionally, the number of fatal motorbike accidents shot up 11.3 per cent, from 206 to 229.

“Our analysis shows clear areas of concern across a number of states and road user groups,” Mr McKellar said.

In NSW alone, a number of fatal accidents have been reported over the past week alone.

On Tuesday November 14, a 31-year-old man was struck by a car as he was crossing the road in Collaroy. He died at the scene.

The same day, a head on collision in Muswellbrook resulted in the death of a 17-year-old male.

Police have been working hard to try and minimise the risk of accidents occurring, having just concluded a campaign targeting drink drivers called Operation Drink Drive II.

“Although we have come to the end of a successful operation, we will continue making a concerted effort to catch these offenders and put them before the courts,” superintendent Stuart Smith said in a statement.

If a family member is ever the victim of a fatal car accident, you may be able to claim compensation on their behalf to cover costs such as funeral expenses or your own personal trauma.

There are lawyers in Sydney who operate on a no win no fee basis – they can help you make a claim.

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Meet the diverse and dynamic team of compensation lawyers and supporting staff that have made this all happen below. Our multi-lingual team can discuss your claims in Arabic, Assyrian, Turkish, Greek, Italian, French, Serbian, Croatian, Armenian, Mandarin, Hindi, Punjabi or Malayalam.

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