The unheard trauma of fatal road crimes in NSW
Every year, more than 300 people die, and more than 10,000 are injured on NSW roads. To give context, in Australia, an average of 1,189 people are killed on our roads each year. In 2020, Australia ranked 20th out of 36 nations regarding the fatality rate on the road.
The ripples of road trauma are felt extensively throughout the community. One in five (20%) adults have ever experienced the loss of someone on the roads in NSW (amounting to 1,600,000 people). Trauma from road crashes in NSW costs the community over $9 billion annually.
Looking specifically at road deaths caused by criminal driving behaviour, 4% of the NSW community have experienced the death of a friend or relative due to the criminal act of another road user on NSW roads (equating to 253,000 people).
Underpinning the substantial size of the problem is the often preventable nature of these deaths. Driver behaviour is a key contributing factor – including decisions related to speed, alcohol consumption, and drug use. While dangerous driving is a significant problem, it is not an issue unique to young drivers, with drivers of all ages reporting risky driving attitudes.
The lived experience of road trauma
The sudden, violent, and criminal nature of road trauma deaths brings a tidal wave of mental, emotional and physical damage to the victims’ families, friends and the community.
The consequences of fatal road offences extend far beyond the initial incident. Families are often confronted by ongoing financial and legal processes, interactions with police, crash investigations, distressing battles with insurance companies, intrusive media involvement and protracted judicial proceedings in the event the offending driver survives. Prolonged suffering inhibits the ability to process and grieve, so the effects on families are long-lasting.
The unique stressors associated with losing a loved one due to fatal road crimes put those who experience them at a higher risk of mental distress and create a more severe impact on their mental health in the long-term. Research has shown that bereaved family members are more likely to have severe mental disorders than the actual survivors of motor vehicle crashes and their family members.
In short, the impacts of road trauma are profound, catastrophic, and enduring.
