The NSW Government has committed an additional $250 million towards road safety, as it releases new targets that aim to halve deaths and reduce serious injuries by 30 per cent on the state’s roads by 2030.
The newly-released 2026 Road Safety Action Plan outlines a series of new road safety initiatives designed to help reduce the road toll.
“One death is a death too many and we want to create the safest road system we can, so that everyone using the road returns home safely to their families,” said Minister for Metropolitan Roads Natalie Ward .
“We know the measures we’ve delivered through our previous Plan have worked to save lives. 270 people were killed on NSW roads last year, our lowest road toll since 1923, but this number is still too high.”
Under the previous 2021 Road Safety Plan, NSW achieved its target of a 30 per cent reduction in road deaths in the past decade.
“That was a heartening result but it’s vital we look to the future and continue the trend with the ultimate aim to be no deaths on our roads,” Ward said.
“Important initiatives in our new Plan include a new online Learner Licence Education and Testing Platform to improve interactive learning and access to a licence.”
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Sam Farraway added that rural and regional NSW would continue to be a key focus under the plan.
“People living in regional NSW typically spend more time on the road, driving further, and at higher speeds, where safety infrastructure can make a life-saving difference,” Farraway said.
“This funding boost will build on programs already making an important difference in our regional communities such as the Saving Lives on Country Roads Initiative.”
The 2026 Road Safety Action Plan also includes:
- Delivering a new heavy vehicle safety strategy through partnership with industry;
- Trialling technology on heavy vehicles and buses to improve detection of pedestrians and cyclists;
- Trialling a vehicle safety program to increase the use of safer vehicles among younger and disadvantaged drivers;
- Partnership with the Road Trauma Support Group NSW, including funding to deliver services to families affected by road trauma;
- Using existing mobile phone detection cameras to detect drivers not wearing a seatbelt, with legislation to make the change to go to NSW Parliament this year;
- Enhancing the Local Government Road Safety Program;
- Further expanding the Driver Licencing Access Program, which supports disadvantaged people to become safely licenced;
- Enhancing the Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme to improve the safety of motorcyclists;
- A new online Road Safety Education Centre to improve access to information and resources for all road users and;
- Revitalising the strategy for drug and alcohol testing of drivers.
The $250 million funding boost brings the NSW Government’s road safety spend to almost $2.4 billion over the next five years, excluding any potential further safety infrastructure funding.
All initiatives will be delivered through the Community Road Safety Fund, which includes money obtained through speed, red light and mobile phone use offences detected by cameras.