SA’s most dangerous region for road users
The Barossa, Light and Lower North region was the most dangerous region for road fatalities in 2024, according to SAPOL data analysed by RAA.
Of the 91 people who lost their lives in crashes on our state’s roads in 2024, 15 of those occurred in the Barossa Valley – the most of any SA region.
Nine vehicle drivers, three passengers, two motorcyclists and one cyclist were tragically killed in the Barossa.
The region saw 67 per cent increase when compared to the five-year average of nine.
Adelaide’s northern suburbs and the Limestone Coast were the next highest regions, with 13 and 11 lives lost respectively.
Taking responsibility
RAA’s review identified that 70 per cent of fatalities occurred in regional South Australia while 30 per cent were in metro Adelaide.
In the Barossa, Light and Lower North, nine (60 per cent) of the lives lost involved only a single vehicle colliding with a roadside object or rolling over. RAA Senior Manager of Safety and Infrastructure Charles Mountain says these types of crashes are all too common on our regional roads and tragically often result in serious injury or death.
“Drivers are generally travelling at significantly higher speeds on regional roads compared with the metropolitan road network,” Charles says.
“Combine this with a split-second distraction or fatigue and the consequences can be catastrophic.”
For example, a car driving at 100km/h travels a distance of 28m in the space of one second – about the length of a basketball court. Charles reminds drivers that the ‘Fatal 5’ causes of road trauma can be exacerbated when driving on country roads.
“Drivers need to be conscious of their personal responsibility towards road safety,” Charles says. “Distraction, speeding, driving with alcohol or drugs in their system, not wearing a seatbelt and dangerous behaviour can all be avoided.
“Every life lost on our roads, metro or regional, is a devastating tragedy for each family and community impacted.”
Lives lost in 2024
| Region | Lives lost |
|---|---|
| Barossa, Light and Lower North | 15 |
| Northern Adelaide (Cities of Playford, Salisbury, Tea Tree Gully and part of Port Adelaide Enfield) | 13 |
| Limestone Coast | 11 |
| Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island | 9 |
| Far North (including APY lands, Port Augusta, Flinders Rangers, Coober Pedy and Roxby Downs) | 7 |
| Adelaide Hills | 6 |
| Eyre and Western (Eyre Peninsula up to the border with Western Australia) | 6 |
| Southern Adelaide (Cities of Holdfast Bay, Marion, Mitcham and Onkaparinga) | 5 |
| Western Adelaide (Cities of Charles Sturt, West Torrens and part of Port Adelaide Enfield) | 5 |
| Murray and Mallee | 5 |
| Yorke and Mid North | 5 |
| Eastern Adelaide (Cities of Adelaide, Burnside, Campbelltown, Norwood Payneham and St Peters, Prospect, Unley and Walkerville) | 4 |