Christmas/New Year holiday period road toll 2015/16
The official holiday period began at 4pm on Thursday 24 December 2015 and ended at 6am on Tuesday 5 January 2016.
During the 2015/2016 Christmas holiday period there were 11 fatal crashes. Those crashes resulted in 12 deaths.
The deaths included:
- 7 drivers
- 3 passengers
- 1 motorcycle rider
- 1 cyclist
Provisional road toll as at 7am Tuesday 5 January.
Christmas/New Year holiday period road toll 2014/15
The official holiday period began at 4pm on Wednesday 24 December 2014 and ended at 6am on Monday 5 January 2015.
During the 2014/2015 Christmas holiday period there were 14 fatal crashes and 226 reported injury crashes. Those crashes resulted in 16 deaths, 78 serious injuries and 267 minor injuriesDuring the 2014/2015 Christmas holiday period there were 14 fatal crashes and 226 reported injury crashes. Those crashes resulted in 16 deaths, 78 serious injuries and 267 minor injuries .
The deaths included:
- 7 drivers
- 7 passengers
- 2 motorcycle riders
13 of the 16 deaths and about two-thirds of the reported injuries occurred on the open road. Nearly half (47 percent) of the crashes were single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or ran off the road, 18 percent were intersection collisions, 12 percent were head-on collisions and 8 percent were collisions with obstructions or rear end collisions13 of the 16 deaths and about two-thirds of the reported injuries occurred on the open road. Nearly half (47 percent) of the crashes were single vehicle crashes in which a driver lost control or ran off the road, 18 percent were intersection collisions, 12 percent were head-on collisions and 8 percent were collisions with obstructions or rear end collisions .
The most commonly cited contributing factors for crashes over the Christmas holiday period were losing control (38 percent), travelling too fast for conditions (24 percent), inattention (21 percent), alcohol or drugs (18 percent), inexperience (16 percent), failed to give way or stop (15 percent), did not see other party (14%), too far left (12%) and fatigue (10 percent).The most commonly cited contributing factors for crashes over the Christmas holiday period were losing control (38 percent), travelling too fast for conditions (24 percent), inattention (21 percent), alcohol or drugs (18 percent), inexperience (16 percent), failed to give way or stop (15 percent), did not see other party (14%), too far left (12%) and fatigue (10 percent).
Historical Christmas/New Year holiday period crashes and casualties
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Injured | Injury crashes | Holiday period (days) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958/59 | 15 | 358 | 11.6 | ||
| 1959/60 | 8 | 506 | 11.6 | ||
| 1960/61 | 18 | 414 | 11.6 | ||
| 1961/62 | 13 | 346 | 11.6 | ||
| 1962/63 | 10 | 421 | 9.6 | ||
| 1963/64 | 11 | 457 | 9.6 | ||
| 1964/65 | 13 | 500 | 11.6 | ||
| 1965/66 | 19 | 557 | 11.6 | ||
| 1966/67 | 9 | 749 | 11.6 | ||
| 1967/68 | 20 | 399 | 11.6 | ||
| 1968/69 | 20 | 429 | 9.6 | ||
| 1969/70 | 18 | 713 | 11.6 | ||
| 1970/71 | 26 | 23 | 824 | 11.6 | |
| 1971/72 | 34 | 26 | 819 | 11.6 | |
| 1972/73 | 37 | 28 | 826 | 11.6 | |
| 1973/74 | 16 | 14 | 585 | 9.6 | |
| 1974/75 | 29 | 30 | 574 | 9.6 | |
| 1975/76 | 24 | 21 | 628 | 11.6 | |
| 1976/77 | 19 | 17 | 584 | 11.6 | |
| 1977/78 | 34 | 30 | 609 | 11.6 | |
| 1978/79 | 30 | 27 | 346 | 11.6 | |
| 1979/80 | 13 | 13 | 416 | 9.6 | |
| 1980/81 | 32 | 25 | 481 | 11.6 | |
| 1981/82 | 35 | 30 | 602 | 11.6 | |
| 1982/83 | 18 | 17 | 473 | 11.6 | |
| 1983/84 | 17 | 15 | 523 | 11.6 | |
| 1984/85 | 13 | 12 | 439 | 9.6 | |
| 1985/86 | 25 | 21 | 532 | 9.6 | |
| 1986/87 | 31 | 30 | 554 | 11.6 | |
| 1987/88 | 22 | 20 | 544 | 11.6 | |
| 1988/89 | 16 | 15 | 594 | 11.6 | |
| 1989/90 | 19 | 17 | 596 | 11.6 | |
| 1990/91 | 18 | 16 | 487 | 297 | 9.6 |
| 1991/92 | 17 | 13 | 537 | 319 | 9.6 |
| 1992/93 | 29 | 21 | 528 | 319 | 11.6 |
| 1993/94 | 17 | 16 | 372 | 228 | 11.6 |
| 1994/95 | 19 | 18 | 542 | 321 | 11.6 |
| 1995/96 | 26 | 20 | 598 | 360 | 11.6 |
| 1996/97 | 14 | 14 | 432 | 258 | 9.6 |
| 1997/98 | 26 | 23 | 387 | 225 | 11.6 |
| 1998/99 | 24 | 19 | 391 | 228 | 11.6 |
| 1999/00 | 17 | 14 | 398 | 235 | 11.6 |
| 2000/01 | 20 | 16 | 409 | 235 | 11.6 |
| 2001/02 | 21 | 17 | 417 | 233 | 9.6 |
| 2002/03 | 17 | 14 | 323 | 208 | 9.6 |
| 2003/04 | 13 | 13 | 408 | 259 | 11.6 |
| 2004/05 | 11 | 9 | 513 | 309 | 11.6 |
| 2005/06 | 22 | 20 | 488 | 295 | 11.6 |
| 2006/07 | 9 | 6 | 444 | 288 | 11.6 |
| 2007/08 | 18 | 16 | 413 | 252 | 9.6 |
| 2008/09 | 25 | 22 | 458 | 312 | 11.6 |
| 2009/10 | 13 | 12 | 409 | 291 | 11.6 |
| 2010/11 | 12 | 12 | 381 | 263 | 11.6 |
| 2011/12 | 19 | 15 | 400 | 285 | 11.6 |
| 2012/13 | 6 | 6 | 353 | 237 | 9.6 |
| 2013/14 | 7 | 7 | 308 | 193 | 9.6 |
| 2014/15 | 16 | 14 | 345 | 226 | 11.6 |
| 2015/16 | 12 | 11 | 11.6 |
Notes:
- Consistent injury crash data not available prior to 1990.
- Holiday period refers to the number of days the official holiday period covers.
- The length of the official holiday period varies depending on where the statutory holidays fall in relation to the weekend. When Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve fall on a week day the holiday starts at 4.00 pm on 24 December. If the holiday begins on a Monday or a Tuesday then it ends at 6.00am on 3 January (9.6 days). If the holiday begins from Wednesday to Friday then it ends at 6.00am on 5 January (11.6 days). When Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve fall on a Saturday the holiday starts at 4.00pm on Friday 23 December and ends at 6.00 am on Wednesday 4 January (11.6 days). When Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve fall on a Sunday the holiday starts at 4.00pm on Friday 22 December and ends at 6.00 am on Wednesday 3 January (11.6 days).
The lowest Christmas holiday period road toll on record occurred during 2012/13 when 6 deaths were recorded. The 7 deaths in 2013/14 is the second lowest holiday road toll on record. There were 8 deaths recorded in 1959/60. There were 9 deaths recorded in 1966/67 and again in 2006/07. The highest holiday period road toll on record was in 1972/73 when there were 37 deaths.
The earliest year for which records for holiday periods are available is 1956/57.
Local government Christmas/New Year statistics
View full local government region road toll tables for Christmas/New Year from 1980/81–2014/15 (Note: 1980 is as far back as regional records are available).
For more information on regional road toll information View the Annual road toll historical information