SA road fatalities highest this decade
Twelve lives have been lost on South Australian roads in January 2025, marking the deadliest start to the year since 2019.
The death of a man at Craigmore on Friday is the twelfth fatality on South Australian roads in 2025, the most recorded in January since 2019.
On Monday, the RAA reported six of the fatalities occurred on regional roads and six occurred on metropolitan roads.
All regional fatalities were the result of ‘single-vehicle run-off-road’ crashes, while five of the six metropolitan fatalities were pedestrians or motorcyclists.
Speaking to InDaily, Acting Officer in Charge Traffic Services Branch Superintendent Michael Turnbull said SA Police have taken action during January to address road safety.
“Police have conducted six road safety operations throughout January targeting drink and drug driving, speeding, dangerous driving, distraction, incorrect seatbelt use and protecting the safety of vulnerable road users like cyclists,” he said.
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“I urge road users to share the roads responsibly, drive to the conditions and follow the road rules.”
Twelve lives have been lost on South Australian roads in January 2025, the highest start to the year since 2019. Statistics: SA Police
In comparison, there were four fatalities in January 2024, and 11 in January 2023.
There were 62 serious injuries linked to collisions in January 2025, 66 in 2024 and 94 in 2023.
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RAA Senior Manager Road Safety Charles Mountain said the statistics were cause for serious concern.
“Across December and January, 23 lives were lost on SA roads – the worst two months on our roads since early 2023, which was a catastrophic year on our roads,” he said.
Mountain added an ongoing focus and investment is required to address safe road infrastructure, safe vehicles, safe speeds and safe road user behaviour.
“We’ve long called for duplication of the national highway network including the Augusta, Sturt and Dukes Highways, and addressing our $2 billion road maintenance backlog,” he said.
A state government spokesperson said the Department for Infrastructure and Transport has been undertaking a full review of the former Liberal government’s road maintenance contract.
“We have already increased funding for road maintenance in successive budgets with almost $400 million allocated to regional road maintenance over the next four years,” the spokesperson said.
“In the past year, we have committed with the Commonwealth an additional $168 million investment in road safety funding that helps to save lives by improving remote, regional and urban roads, footpaths and cycleways, with works including shoulder sealing, audio-tactile line markings, delineation, roadside barriers, lane/curve widening and pavement works.”
