What’s Happening?
Toowoomba Regional Council has joined key agencies to launch Rural Road Safety Month across the region. The August campaign asks every road user to take responsibility for their behaviour and choices.
Council representatives launched the campaign in Toowoomba on Tuesday, 4 August 2026. Mayor Cr Geoff McDonald and infrastructure portfolio spokesperson Cr Carol Taylor attended with fellow councillors.
Australian Road Safety Foundation founder Russell White joined Queensland Police Service and Queensland Ambulance Service representatives. QPS Inspector Damian Wells attended with fellow officers from the Darling Downs Support Service Group. Foundation representatives, ambulance officers and commercial partners also supported the launch.
Why It Matters?
New Australian Road Safety Foundation research found many Queensland drivers underestimate the dangers of country roads. Less traffic can create a false sense of safety, despite the high number of fatal crashes.
ARSF founder and chair Russell White said human decisions remained central to preventing deaths and serious injuries.
“Make no mistake, the majority of crashes come down to human fault – whether you live in the city, the regions or the bush, every single road user makes choices that can have deadly consequences,” Mr White said.
He said many serious crashes happened during familiar trips rather than unusual or extreme situations.
“It’s not just reckless, high-risk driving. Most rural crashes happen in broad daylight, on an ordinary weekday, in a single vehicle, on the kind of everyday drive every one of us makes. Every one of those 234 people killed on rural Queensland roads last year was heading somewhere – a father picking up a child from school, a daughter heading to the movies, a partner popping out to grab milk. Our job this Rural Road Safety Month is to make sure more journeys end where they’re meant to.”
The research also examined what could encourage drivers to change their behaviour. Concern about preventing someone from returning home emerged as the strongest motivation.
Local Impact
Mayor McDonald said most crashes could be prevented through safer choices and greater awareness.
“The research released today is a timely reminder that most crashes are preventable and often come down to human choices. Whether you’re driving to work, taking the kids to sport or heading home after a long day, every decision you make behind the wheel matters,” Mayor McDonald said. “There can be a perception that country roads are safer because they’re less busy, but the reality is that the majority of Queensland’s road fatalities occur on regional, rural and remote roads. That’s why road users must remain alert, plan ahead and never become complacent. Council and every agency supporting this campaign is committed to saving lives and reducing road accident injuries that cause untold grief and have a huge financial and social cost to our community.”
By The Numbers
- Queensland recorded 234 deaths on country roads during 2025, representing a 16 per cent increase over 12 months. Regional, rural and remote roads accounted for 76 per cent of the state’s road deaths. However, 27 per cent of Queensland drivers considered rural roads safer than city streets.
- Across Australia, 906 of the 1,314 road deaths during 2025 happened on rural roads. Rural road deaths increased by 10.5 per cent over 12 months. The launch displayed 906 postcards in memory of every person killed.
- The research found 5% of Queensland drivers admitted breaking a road rule on a country road. Another 53 per cent said they would take greater care if their behaviour could prevent someone returning home. Across the Darling Downs, 17 lives have been lost this year, with all but one death outside built-up areas.
Zoom In
Cr Taylor said road safety started with the choices made by each person. This included drivers, riders, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians.
“With a Council network of nearly 6,700km of sealed and unsealed roads, the safety and wellbeing of all road users is a high priority,” Cr Taylor said. “Many serious crashes happen on routine trips in familiar surroundings. That’s why it remains critical to avoid the fatal five behaviours: speeding, distraction, drink and drug driving, fatigue, and failing to wear a seatbelt.”
Council continues to combine road works with education, enforcement and new approaches to road management.
“Council is committed to improving road safety through better engineering on our road projects and advocating for road safety education and enforcement, in addition to investigating new technologies to improve road management and safety. However, even the safest road network relies on road users making safe choices every time they get behind the wheel. Our recent Budget allocated $40.89 million for capital projects that are dedicated to improving and upgrading roads, drainage, footpaths and bikeways across the Region, including Region-wide resheeting and resealing programs.”
Details of those projects are available through the Toowoomba Regional Council Budget.
Zoom Out
Council applies for road funding grants to support further safety improvements. These include allocations from the federally funded Black Spot program.
“Council applies for available road funding grants, including allocations under the federally funded Black Spot program, which delivers projects that reduce the incidence and severity of road traffic crashes,” Cr Taylor said. “Council will keep advocating to state and federal governments to reverse the reduction in road funding in real terms for regional and rural roads. Increasing funding for road infrastructure projects is vital to keep pace with higher traffic volumes and community expectations.”
What To Look For Next?
Rural Road Safety Month will continue throughout August, with participating agencies encouraging safer choices on every trip. Council will also continue its road upgrades, grant applications and funding advocacy. Investigations into new road management and safety technologies will remain part of that work.
More campaign information is available from the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
**Source: Toowoomba Regional Council
