#10 WA's road toll deaths are the highest they've been in a decade - why and what can we do about it?

In July 2025, six people lost their lives in separate crashes in Western Australia all within a 48-hour period.In 2024, there were 188 fatalities on WA roads, which was recorded as the worst year in nearly a decade, with 30 more deaths than in 2023.For some years now WA has had one of the worst road fatality rates of any State. On average over the 2020 to 2024 period, three people were killed every week due to road trauma.To help us unpack what’s been happening on WA roads, we spoke with Professor Teresa Senserrick, Director of the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety Research, and Dr Matthew (Tepi) Mclaughlin, Adjunct Research Fellow in the School of Human Sciences at the University of Western Australia.00:00 Introduction to WA Road Fatalities00:37 Expert Insights on Road Safety01:20 Current Trends and Statistics02:56 Factors Contributing to High Fatality Rates04:04 Impact of Urban Sprawl and Car Dependency04:45 Potential Solutions and Road Design13:29 Behavioural Factors and Speeding21:16 Cultural Aspects of Driving in WA32:07 Public Health Insights32:57 The Impact of Disinformation on Policy Support33:21 Addressing Vulnerable Road Users35:07 Pedestrian Safety and Infrastructure Challenges38:31 Vehicle Choices and Road Safety43:14 The Safe System Approach to Road Safety49:33 The Role of Policy in Road Safety54:23 Achieving Zero Road Deaths01:02:40 Concluding Thoughts and Future DirectionsGuests Professor Teresa Senserrick, Director of the Western Australian Centre for Road Safety ResearchDr Matthew (Tepi) Mclaughlin - Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Human Sciences, University of Western AustraliaSubscribe and shareIf you liked this episode, subscribe to RAC’s Horizons podcast and share it with your friends and family.Find us onlineWebsite: https://rac.com.au/horizons   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HorizonsRAC  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/racwa/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/racwa/Legal disclaimerThe views expressed in this podcast are those of the individuals involved and may not be shared by the Royal Automobile Club of WA (Inc) or its related bodies corporate (together “RAC”) or any of its or their councillors, directors or employees.  This podcast is for general information and entertainment purposes only.  Listeners should not rely on the content as a substitute for independent advice.  References to a product should not be construed as an endorsement by RAC.  RAC accepts no liability for any reliance placed on the content.