Murray Bridge has been revealed as the second worst town for road fatalities and serious crashes in South Australia in the past decade, trailing behind Adelaide.
Crash data released by the RAA this morning shows between 2013 and 2022, there were 64 combined serious crashes and fatalities in the Rural City, stats equal with Whyalla.
Other areas that saw a high number of crashes included Mount Gambier (63), McLaren Vale (53), Prospect (47) and North Adelaide (46).
In the first half of this year, 77% of lives lost have been in regional areas – up from the 10-year average of 66%.
The data has prompted an RAA road safety warning ahead of the school holidays – with South Australian families set to flock to the state’s regions from this weekend.
RAA Senior Manager Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain reminded drivers of the Fatal 5 causes of road trauma.
“Around two-thirds of all lives lost are on regional roads each year, so South Australians preparing to head away for the school holidays need to keep safety front of mind,” Mr Mountain said.
“Regional roads are generally high speed, where a small lapse in concentration or moment of distraction can have catastrophic consequences.
“The areas of Murray Bridge, Whyalla and Mount Gambier and McLaren Vale all in the top five locations for serious crashes.
“If you’re heading away, please adhere to the speed limit, take regular rest breaks and share the driving if you have multiple drivers in the vehicle.
“Remember the Fatal 5 causes of road trauma – distraction (including using any function of a mobile phone while driving), excessive speed, not wearing a seatbelt, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and dangerous road user behaviours.”
