ROADS IN CENTRAL COAST AND NEWCASTLE AMONG WORST IN THE STATE
The NRMA’s road trauma statistics is a list you don’t want to top, but the Central Coast and Newcastle are ranked worryingly high in the insurer’s latest report.
It found the Central Coast and Newcastle have some of the worst roads in the state, with death and injuries from road trauma on its roads costing both communities more than $2 billion dollars, combined.
While each and every road trauma is a tragedy with a heartbreaking human cost, each tragic accident also comes with an economic cost.
The NRMA crunched the numbers, analyzing the crash history on regional roads between 2014 and 2018, taking into account the cost of emergency personnel, road closures, road damage, and vehicle damage.
It found that in the past 5 years, road trauma has cost the Central Coast more than $1.5 billion dollars, more than any other LGA in the state.
Accidents on Newcastle roads have cost the community more than $650 million dollars.
The concerning figures have prompted calls for the Central Coast and Newcastle to be considered priority areas for road infrastructure funding, as the state moves out of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Fixing regional roads will save lives,” said NRMA Spokesperson Peter Khoury.
“It will also provide a much-needed boost to regional economies and give greater access to regional tourism destinations, particularly as we emerge from COVID-19 travel restrictions.”
“The Hunter and the Central Coast have always been top destinations for holiday and with the international travel restrictions to remain in place for some time, domestic locations will rise even further in popularity.”
“We need to make sure tourists and locals are driving on the safest and most efficient roads possible.”
NRMA STATISTICS: TRAUMA COST FIGURES, TOP 5 REGIONAL LGA’S
1. CENTRAL COAST: $1,505,193,617
2. WOLLONGONG: $837,692,660
3. SHOALHAVEN: $701,625,223
4. NEWCASTLE: $650,819,052
5. MID-COAST: $637,600,744
