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Fatal road carnage has cost the NSW Hunter more than $1.32 billion in the past three years, with 191 people killed in 176 crashes.
Data obtained exclusively by the Newcastle Herald details the economic fallout from the region’s fatal road crashes, which increased from 54 in 2010 to 66 last year.
The cost estimate from the NSW Transport Centre for Road Safety figures shows the crashes are having a shuddering impact on the region’s economy.
There were 176 fatal crashes from 2010 to 2012, with 191 people killed and 120 people injured. Of these, 37 people were not wearing seatbelts or helmets.
Northern Region traffic tactician Chief Inspector Trent Le-Merton said every life lost on our roads was a tragic waste.
‘‘Fatal and injury crashes have a huge impact on families and the community in general,’’ Chief Inspector Le-Merton said.
‘‘We probably all know of someone who has suffered the traumatic loss of a loved one or knows someone suffering serious injuries from a crash, which in most cases are avoidable.’’
Speed was the No.1 killer on Hunter roads in the past three years, responsible for almost 40per cent of fatal accidents, followed by alcohol, 18per cent, and fatigue, 17per cent.
Most fatal crashes, or about 50 per cent, happened in daylight, with about 76per cent in the dry and 69 per cent on weekdays.
Michelle Amess knows only too well that there is no dollar figure that can be put on the loss of loved ones.
Mrs Amess’s sons Brendon, 19, and Mathew Gilson, 16, died in a road accident at Morpeth in 2005. She has since developed a school-based driver safety program, ROADwhyz.
Chief Inspector Le-Merton said while the Roads and Maritime Services information differed slightly to data kept by police, due to differences in boundaries, some worrying trends were identified.
He said young drivers were ‘‘over-represented’’ in fatal crashes, and fatigue-related accidents in the Hunter had jumped from 7.4 per cent in 2010 to 22.7per cent this year.
Newcastle Crash Investigation Unit commander Sergeant Peter Stace said the continual expansion of dual-lane highways meant the location of accidents had also changed.
‘‘A lot of these fatals are happening in the suburbs now and not necessarily the busier highways,’’ he said.
According to Roads and Maritime, most fatal accidents are head-ons (not overtaking), followed by vehicles leaving the road on a curve and hitting an object, and then leaving the road on a straight and hitting an object.
Sergeant Stace said last year there was a trend of elderly drivers involved in fatalities and this year there had been a marked increase in young drivers.
He was at a loss to suggest new methods of curbing the road toll and said ‘‘sooner or later’’ focus would have to shift to the court system to explore harsher penalties for driving offences.
NRMA Motoring and Services director Kyle Loades described the rise in fatigue-related crashes in the Hunter as alarming.
Mr Loades said drivers needed to stop for a rest break every few hours.
“We are disappointed that people continue to die on Hunter roads.
‘‘It is important that we improve the road network because a more forgiving road environment means that mistakes made on the road don’t necessarily lead to fatalities,’’ he said.
In 2010 Roads and Maritime estimated each fatal crash cost the community $6.9 million, hospitalised injury crashes cost $337,101 and non-hospitalised injury accidents cost $17,982.
The estimates are based on willingness to pay, or the highest amount a person would pay to reduce risk to their life.