There have been 60 fatalities for the first 8 months of 2008. This is the lowest 8 month total for fatalities recorded in South Australia since systematic recording began in 1950.

South Australia’s Strategic Plan has set a target of reducing road fatalities to less than 90 persons per year by 2010.

Since 2003 SA has recorded an average of 11 fatalities per month. In the last 8 months this has decreased to around 8 fatalities per month. To achieve the 2010 target fatalities need to remain on average below 8 fatalities per month.

The State Strategic Plan has also set a target to reduce serious injuries to less than 1000 per year by 2010. To reach this target will require a considerable decrease to the current total.

A reduction of 150 people seriously injured each year for the next 2 years based on our current figure of 1292 for the 12 months to the end of June 2008.

* Baseline in South Australia's Strategic Plan.  ** Preliminary figures subject to change.

Apart from the suffering of victims and their loved ones, the financial cost of fatalities and injuries to our community is over $900 million each year.

While we have achieved a considerable reduction in fatalities and the current trend is relative to reaching the target, further commitment is required to ensure we achieve less than 90 fatalities by 2010. Significant commitment is required to achieve less than 1000 serious injuries by 2010.

With the key objective of reducing the road toll, the State Government has developed the South Australian Road Safety Action Plan 2008-2010 which promotes strategies in the key areas of Safer Roads, Safer Speeds, Safer Road Users and Safer Vehicles.

Nationally South Australia is performing well against other states. In the past 5 years, SA has achieved an average annual decrease in fatalities of 8.5% compared to NSW with a decrease of 5.3%, Victoria a decrease of 1.4% and Queensland with an increase of 1.7% and WA an increase of 5.3%.