What happened?
The 2025 Rural Road Safety Month launched in Townsville on September 9, with a striking display of 820 empty pairs of shoes, each representing a life lost on rural Australian roads in 2024.
Held at the Hutchinson Builders Centre, home of the North Queensland Cowboys, the event also featured banners of key road toll statistics and a promise vehicle for attendees to pledge their commitment to safer driving. Local police representatives stood alongside the community, reinforcing their role in tackling the regional road toll.
Why it matters
The Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) released new research at the launch, showing complacency and misplaced confidence are continuing to cost lives on Queensland’s country roads. Fatalities on regional, rural, and remote roads accounted for 202 of the state’s 302 road deaths in 2024, or 67% of the total toll.
Local impact
Townsville played host to the national awareness campaign’s launch, now in its eighth year. Road safety advocates present included ARSF Founder and Chair Russell White, Suncorp Executive General Manager Anna Cartwright, former professional rugby league player and Suncorp Ambassador Johnathan Thurston, and Queensland Fire Department Senior Firefighter David Acree.
By the numbers
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820 empty pairs of shoes represented the lives lost on rural roads in 2024.
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67% of Queensland’s 302 road deaths last year occurred in regional, rural, or remote areas.
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61% of drivers admitted to speeding on regional roads, 23% to driving fatigued, and 16% to using a phone while driving.
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26% of Queenslanders admit to relaxing safety standards outside city limits, while 27% believe rural roads are safer than urban streets.
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39% of drivers confessed to breaking a road rule in a regional area, with 19% saying they thought it was safe to do so.
Zoom In
“These statistics aren’t just numbers – they represent choices. Every time someone picks up their phone, speeds, or skips a rest break, they’re making a decision that could cost a life,” ARSF Founder and Chair Russell White said.
He stressed that with 90% of Queenslanders using regional roads, and more than half (56%) doing so at least monthly, rural road safety must be seen as a statewide responsibility.
Zoom Out
Now in its eighth year, Rural Road Safety Month is an initiative of the ARSF held each September to raise awareness of the additional risks on rural and remote roads. This year, Suncorp continued its partnership with ARSF.
Suncorp Chief Executive Consumer Insurance Lisa Harrison said: “Every day, we see the devastating effects road accidents have on people’s lives – and we want to be part of the solution, and that means raising awareness and educating Australians on safer driving behaviours.”
What to look for next?
Throughout September, Queenslanders are encouraged to host, share, or participate in “Step Up for Road Safety” events, ranging from school displays and office morning teas to simple conversations with family and friends.
