Daylight saving and circadian rhythms and killing wildlife on the roads
Crashing into the 'zone of wildlife'

“[With] daylight saving, we start shifting our cars and our daily routine more into the zone of animals, their sunset, sunrise period … suddenly there are cars when all the dusk choruses are happening."

"Species that would be of obvious concern would be kangaroos and wallabies, that are often quite active both in the morning and in the afternoon around dusk, so any increased traffic around the time when they’re most active can create potential issues with road accidents,” Deakin University wildlife ecology and conservation professor Euan Ritchie says."

"Cars – with their lights and noise, and the danger they pose – can affect insects, birds and wildlife." >>
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/04/how-does-daylight-saving-time-affect-animals-australia-wildlife
#biodiversity #wildlife #cars #roads #DST #DaylightSaving #crashes #LightPollution #ArtificialLight #NoisePollution #RoadTrauma

More people are killed on Australian roads.

"Deaths on Australian roads have increased every year since 2020. This is despite the Australian government’s commitment to Vision Zero – having zero deaths or serious injuries on our roads by 2050."

"Unfortunately, 1,317 road deaths were recorded in 2025, a 1.9% increase from 2024. Land transport accidents also remain a leading cause of death for children and young adults, and the third leading cause of injury hospitalisations." >>
https://theconversation.com/more-people-are-dying-on-australian-roads-this-program-could-make-drivers-safer-276970

Comments: To "look at the entire system of road use" one must not just have the car as the road user in mind but the entire mobility design and their associated industries. The focus should be on public infrastructure that enable active and safe mobility (walking and cycling) for all. "Good mobility design" does not kill, maim, pollute or leads to planetary heating.

#cars #roads #RoadTrauma #RoadDeaths #crash #VisionZero #failure #IntegralAccident #MobilityDesign #cyclists #pedestrians #KillerRoads #wildlife #SacrificeZone #FossilFuels #climate

Image: Somewhere on Wikipedia. A time when people could not accept that motorists can just kill people and call it an 'accident'.

Bullbars
"Three people killed, two injured in crash involving car and truck. Both had to be cut from the wreckage before being flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-25/three-passengers-die-as-car-and-truck-crash-in-adelaide-hills/106493522

Why are these giant bull bars (roo bars) allowed ? They often push pedestrians, wildlife and small cars out of the way and crush them.

#car #trucks #bullbars #armouring #safety #ZeroSafety #machines #bodies #roads #RoadTrauma

Motorists killing road workers? Money over lives?
We'd rather not know

"The way road trauma was classified contributed to that visibility problem."

"A traffic controller killed at a roadworks site does not appear in a public 'road worker' category."

"...While Queensland published weekly road toll figures, there was no one publicly accessible source that integrated public road fatalities, work-related road deaths, serious injury hospitalisations in one place or in near-real time. Road workers are especially vulnerable because they are exposed on high-speed corridors where a single reckless decision can have catastrophic consequences."

"Tragically, one afternoon Suzanne was struck by a truck travelling 106km/h in a 60km/h zone. The truck drove on the footpath and killed her." >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-10/qld-road-death-roadworks-traffic-controller/106391030
#roads #RoadTrauma #RoadFatalities #SacrificeZone #cars #OHS #work #RoadToll #RoadSafety #accountability #NegativeExternalities #invisibility #speed #footpaths

Image: Coffs Harbour, Pacific Highway conveyor belt 'upgrade', less bush but ready for a bright fossil fuel future without cycle paths and footpaths.

Zero Road Deaths?
Killer roads - Can Australia reduce road deaths to zero by 2080?

* Helsinki just went a full year without a single traffic death
"The capital city is Finnish’ed with car-related fatalities. Capped speed limits and investments in pedestrian, cycling and public transport infrastructure have helped reduce traffic deaths in Helsink" >>
https://www.politico.eu/article/helsinki-no-traffic-death-roads-eu-accident-finland-driving-transport/

* 355 people - killed on NSW roads in 2025
The injured, the life-altering injuries and killed wildlife are not in these statistics.
https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/minns-government-calls-on-drivers-to-slow-down-355-lives-lost-on-nsw-roads-2025

* Australian road deaths are following dangerous USA trend, expert warns
"A recent rise in Australia’s road toll suggests we are following a USA precedent of rising pedestrian deaths that started long ago." >>
https://www.drive.com.au/news/australian-road-deaths-are-following-dangerous-usa-trend-expert-warns/

* Can we cut road deaths to zero by 2050? Current trends say no. What’s going wrong? >>
https://theconversation.com/can-we-cut-road-deaths-to-zero-by-2050-current-trends-say-no-whats-going-wrong-220289
#Roads #cars #SUVs #speed #RoadTrauma #RoadFatalities #NSW #MobilityDesign #pedestrians #cyclists #infrastructure #PublicTransportation #SacrificeZone #wildlife

Mobility design for all

The cost of doing b̶u̶s̶i̶n̶e̶s̶s̶/ transport should factor in wildlife bridges /corridors at reasonable intervals. When they can construct 40,000-vehicle-a-day conveyor belts through wildlife ecosystems, then they could ensure mobility for koalas, gliders, swamp wallabies and wombats too.
Elsewhere motorways are being retrofitted to allow animals to move safely between fragmented sections of bushland. >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-22/cawleys-bridge-wildlife-crossing-retrofit/106365756

Coffs Harbour bypass >>
https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/projects/coffs-harbour-bypass
#biodiversity #wildlife #mobility #WildlifeBridges #MobilityDesign #roads #highways #CODB #cars #PacificHighway #RoadTrauma #CoffsHarbour

Tolerating the crushing of pedestrians, cyclists and wildlife with bull bars

" Bull bars are rigid or semi-rigid metal or composite frames mounted to the front of a vehicle.

Pedestrian deaths just reached an 18-year high. Bull bars are part of the problem
In 2025, 197 pedestrians were killed on Australian roads, the highest number since 2007. Almost every state recorded a noticeable spike in pedestrian deaths compared to last year.

Cyclist deaths also climbed to 49, up 32% from last year – the highest since 2013.
One key reason appears to be the growing size and weight of vehicles, which can increase the risk of death and injury.

Evidence shows bull bars can significantly increase the severity of pedestrian injuries, even in low-speed urban crashes.

Bull bars are not banned in Australian cities. Instead, they are regulated through design standards that are weaker than European pedestrian-protection rules. "
>>
https://theconversation.com/pedestrian-deaths-just-reached-an-18-year-high-bull-bars-are-part-of-the-problem-273362
#cars #SUVs #crashes #MobilityDesign #regulation #speeding #pedestrians #cyclists #wildlife #RoadTrauma #Bullbars #RooBars #VehicleRamming #HostileVehicleMitigation

Last year 355 human beings were killed by the car-road complex in NSW.

"Australia’s 2025 road toll: NSW records highest number of deaths in eight years as fatalities rise nationwide. About two-thirds of road deaths in NSW last year (241) were in rural and regional areas. Cyclist deaths increased from five to 15, including three e-bike riders."
>>
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/jan/02/australia-2025-road-toll-deaths-fatalities-rise-nationwide
#MobilityDesign #roads #FossilFuels #cars #pedestrians #infrastructure #motorists #speed #SUVs #violence #PetroMasculinity #Sacrifice #RoadTrauma #governance
Image: How children see the road (drawing), Coffs Harbour

Is Australia serious about reducing road trauma?
Australians want giant fuel guzzling cars risking the life of other beings

"As we head for a fifth consecutive year of rising road deaths and what could be the worst year for pedestrian fatalities in nearly two decades, it’s time to look more closely at what this means."

"Evidence from multiple countries suggests driving larger vehicles may lead to more confident or risk-prone behaviour."
>>
https://theconversation.com/australias-roads-are-full-of-giant-cars-and-everyone-pays-the-price-what-can-be-done-268212
#Cars #SUVs #KIllerCars #bullying #pedestrians #children #risks #FossilFuels #PetroMasculinity ##Climate #pollution #RoadKill #regulation #Australia #consuming #RoadTrauma

Virtual fences are designed to keep native animals away from cars

Kangaroos "are involved in around 90 per cent of animal-related collisions in Australia’s eastern states.
Road safety and animal welfare advocates are perplexed as to why thieves steal virtual fences, but it's a problem that’s occurred across Australia, with instances documented in Victoria, South Australia, and Queensland." >>
https://au.news.yahoo.com/community-shattered-by-theft-of-devices-designed-to-stop-100-accidents-on-notorious-road-051726146.html
#Wildlife #RoadKill #RoadTrauma #VirtualFencing #roads ##motorists biodiversity #habitat #environmentalVandalism #Australia