Tasmania's Road Safety Strategy Has Failed – Government Must Admit It and Rethink, Says Helen Burnet MP
Clark Independent Helen Burnet MP has called on the Tasmanian Government to publicly acknowledge that its decade-long road safety strategy has failed, ahead of a planned review of the policy this year.
The 2017 Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy set a target of fewer than 200 serious injuries and deaths per year by 2026, down from 284 in 2015-16. Instead, that figure has climbed to 298, and in 2025, 324 Tasmanians were killed or seriously injured - the highest toll in years, despite more than $75 million in government investment.
"Every road fatality is preventable, and that's exactly why this is so hard to accept," Ms Burnet said. "We've spent $75 million and ended up with worse outcomes. This isn't a funding problem - it's a strategy problem."
Tasmania's road death rate now stands at 7.6 per 100,000 people - second highest in the country behind the Northern Territory, and well above the national average of 4.8. The state's road toll rose 41.9 per cent in 2025, compared with a 1.7 per cent rise nationally - the sharpest increase of any state or territory.
Ms Burnet pointed to specific failures within the strategy: drug driving offences have risen 23.8 per cent since 2015-16, while speed camera detections have surged 367 per cent over the same period without a corresponding drop in crashes.
"Either the deterrents aren't working, or the behaviours behind these crashes are now deeply entrenched. Either way, more of the same isn't the answer," Ms Burnet said.
Ms Burnet also criticised the composition of the Road Safety Advisory Council, which currently includes police, transport experts and departmental officials but no dedicated community advocate, victims' advocate, public health expert, or representative from the department responsible for children and young people.
"Road trauma isn't just a policing and transport issue - it's a public health crisis. The Government's own health strategy admits that 70 per cent of health outcomes are shaped outside the health system, including by transport safety. Every serious crash is a health system failure too."
Following a spike in road deaths over the past fortnight - including the death of a heart surgeon driving home from work - Ms Burnet is calling on Transport Minister Vincent to deliver a Ministerial Statement to Parliament when it resumes in August.
"While no one expects Minister Vincent to be able to wave a magic wand and fix this problem, Tasmanians do expect honesty: what's being done isn't working. It's time for a genuine rethink, not another refresh - and a willingness to look beyond Tasmania, and beyond Australia, for real solutions."