23 June 2023 | See disclaimer
From cars and public transport to motorbikes and electric scooters, we’re seeing more vehicles on Australian roads every day.
With national traffic levels increasing by 42% from 2000 to 2019, road safety has never been more important as we deal with busier commutes. [1]
To understand how everyday drivers feel about their safety on the road, we surveyed 999 Australians aged 18+ on their opinions about road safety and how they felt when getting from A to B.
Quick Stats
The majority of those surveyed believe Australian roads have become more dangerous in the past 10 years with one in five saying they’ve become much more dangerous and 40.7% saying they’ve become somewhat more dangerous.
Driving a car is the main mode of transport for almost three-quarters of those surveyed.
The safest mode of transport on Australian roads is driving a car, according to more than half of those surveyed.
Motorbikes and scooters are the most dangerous modes of transport on Australian roads, according to the majority of those surveyed (40.6%) with bicycles coming in second place.
Australian Road Safety Statistics
In 2022, there were 1,194 road crash deaths on Australian roads, which was up 5.8% from 2021.
Over the past decade, the number of road fatalities has dropped by 10.4% with the largest state-level reductions happening in New South Wales (down 20.1%) and South Australia (down 33.5%). [2]
Despite the level of traffic in metropolitan areas, in 2018 it was found that more than half of the total road deaths happened in regional Australia.
This meant in regional Australia, there was a road crash death rate of 9.6 deaths per 100,000 people compared to just 2.2 deaths per 100,000 people in major cities in Australia. [3]
Road Safety Survey Results
What is your main mode of transport?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
Almost three-quarters of those surveyed (74.5%) said their main mode of transport on Australian roads was driving a car.
Meanwhile, almost one in ten of those surveyed said they mainly rode as a passenger in a car.
How often are you on Australian roads?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
More than half of those surveyed (54.4%) said they were on Australian roads every day. Meanwhile, 31.3% who were surveyed said they were on Australian roads at least three times a week.
Those aged 28 to 37 were the most likely age group of those surveyed to be on the road every day according to 67.4% of respondents.
In your opinion, have Australian roads become safer or more dangerous over the last 12 months?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
The majority of those who were surveyed (38.2%) said they believed Australian roads had become somewhat more dangerous in the last 12 months.
Meanwhile, 35.8% of those who were surveyed said they’d seen no change in the level of safety on Australian roads in the past year.
A quarter of those surveyed in South Australia and more than one in five of those surveyed in Victoria said they believed Australian roads have become much more dangerous in the past 12 months.
In your opinion, have Australian roads become safer or more dangerous over the last 10 years?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%.
The majority of those surveyed (40.7%) said they believed Australian roads have become somewhat more dangerous over the last 10 years, while 19.2% said they were much more dangerous.
This result has dropped from when we asked the same question in the Road Safety Survey 2018 where 23.8% of respondents said they believed the roads were much more dangerous than ten years prior.
More than a quarter of those surveyed (27.3%) aged 58 to 67 said they believed Australian roads have become much more dangerous over the past decade.
Meanwhile, 44% of those who were surveyed in Victoria said they believed the roads have become somewhat more dangerous in the past 10 years.
However, this is in comparison with national data which has shown a 10.4% decrease in the road death rate over the past 10 years to 2022. [2]
Has your opinion on Australian road safety affected your decision about which type of transportation you choose?^
Male |
Female |
|
|---|---|---|
Yes, I’ve changed my main mode of transportation. |
4.19% |
2.68% |
Yes, I’ve improved my main mode of transportation. |
9.85% |
8.81% |
Yes, I’ve minimised my time on Australian roads. |
16.56% |
20.31% |
Yes, I’ve increased my time on Australian roads. |
2.94% |
2.87% |
No, nothing has changed. |
63.31% |
62.07% |
Not sure |
3.14% |
3.26% |
18-27 |
28-37 |
38-47 |
48-57 |
58-67 |
68-77 |
78-87 |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes, I’ve changed my main mode of transportation. |
5.03% |
3.11% |
4.12% |
4.32% |
2.88% |
0.98% |
0.00% |
Yes, I’ve improved my main mode of transportation. |
16.76% |
10.88% |
8.82% |
8.02% |
6.47% |
2.94% |
4.17% |
Yes, I’ve minimised my time on Australian roads. |
20.11% |
16.58% |
18.82% |
15.43% |
17.99% |
26.47% |
12.50% |
Yes, I’ve increased my time on Australian roads. |
5.03% |
5.70% |
2.35% |
1.23% |
2.16% |
0.00% |
0.00% |
No, nothing has changed. |
48.60% |
60.62% |
61.76% |
68.52% |
66.91% |
68.63% |
83.33% |
Not sure |
4.47% |
3.11% |
4.12% |
2.47% |
3.60% |
0.98% |
0.00% |
NSW |
Vic |
Qld |
SA |
WA |
Tas |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes, I’ve changed my main mode of transportation. |
4.67% |
3.47% |
1.50% |
2.86% |
2.91% |
0.00% |
Yes, I’ve improved my main mode of transportation. |
12.15% |
9.27% |
7.00% |
5.71% |
10.68% |
0.00% |
Yes, I’ve minimised my time on Australian roads. |
17.76% |
22.39% |
19.50% |
15.71% |
13.59% |
9.52% |
Yes, I’ve increased my time on Australian roads. |
1.87% |
2.70% |
5.00% |
2.86% |
1.94% |
0.00% |
No, nothing has changed. |
60.12% |
59.46% |
63.50% |
72.86% |
66.02% |
85.71% |
Not sure |
3.43% |
2.70% |
3.50% |
0.00% |
4.85% |
4.76% |
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
The majority of those who were surveyed (62.7%) said their opinion on Australian road safety hasn’t affected their decision on which type of transport they choose.
Almost one in five of those surveyed (18.5%) said they’ve minimised their time on Australian roads because of their opinions on road safety.
In Victoria, 22.4% of those surveyed said they had minimised their time on Australian roads because of their opinions on road safety.
Meanwhile, more than a quarter of those surveyed aged 38 to 77 said they had minimised their time on Australian roads because of their opinions on road safety.
Which mode of transport do you feel is the safest on Australian roads?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
More than half of those surveyed (51.7%) said they believed driving a car was the safest mode of transport on Australian roads.
Meanwhile, almost one in five (19.3%) respondents said the tram or light rail was considered the safest mode of transport on Australian roads.
For those surveyed aged 18 to 27, the bus was seen to be one of the safest modes of transport with 19.6% saying this was their top pick. The same response was found for 22.3% of Western Australians who were surveyed who said the bus was, in their opinion, the safest mode of transport on Australian roads.
Which mode of transportation do you feel is the most dangerous on Australian roads?^
^Due to how the figures are rounded within the survey data, numbers may not add up to exactly 100%
The majority of those surveyed (40.6%) said they believed motorbikes and scooters were the most dangerous mode of transport currently on Australian roads.
The second most popular answer was 27.8% of respondents saying the bicycle was seen as the most dangerous mode of transport in Australia.
Half of respondents aged 68 to 77 also thought the motorbike and scooter were the most dangerous modes of transport on Australian roads. While more than one in five respondents aged 18 to 27 said that driving a car was, in their opinion, the most dangerous way to get around.
Key Takeaways
Drivers Think Roads Have Become More Dangerous
Just over 40% of drivers who were surveyed said they believed Australian roads have become somewhat more dangerous over the past decade.
Meanwhile, almost one in five respondents said the roads had become much more dangerous over the past decade.
This response has dropped slightly compared to the findings in our 2018 survey where 23.8% of respondents said they believed the roads were much more dangerous than a decade ago.
However, when compared to national findings, in the past decade to 2022 there’s been a 10.4% decline in road crash death rates. [2]
Motorbikes and Scooters Could Be the Most Dangerous Transport
More than half of those surveyed said they believed that motorbikes and scooters are the most dangerous modes of transport on Australian roads at the moment.
On the other hand, more than half of those who were surveyed said they believed driving their car was the safest mode of transport, while almost one in five respondents said the tram or light rail was the safest.
Driving is the Most Popular Mode of Transport
Driving is the most popular mode of transport with those who were surveyed with almost three-quarters saying it was their main mode.
With national traffic rates increasing by 42% between 2000 and 2019, there’s no surprise people continue to prefer driving their cars to get from A to B. [1]
