Beyond the Crash: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Road Trauma
Beyond the Crash: Understanding the Ripple Effects of Road Trauma
Some views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the speaker and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of RTSGNSW.
When someone is killed on our roads due to reckless or illegal behaviour, the suffering doesn’t end at the crash site. It ripples outward — devastating families, shocking communities, overwhelming support systems, and, too often, disappearing into statistics. Behind every number is a name, a face, a future stolen.
At Road Trauma Support Group - we hear these stories every day. A mother who lost her only son. A partner who faces an empty seat at the table. A child growing up without a parent. And each story is followed by the same question: Why isn’t more being done to stop this?
New research from RTSG and FiftyFive5 reveals the staggering reach of road trauma:
22.5% of adults in NSW — nearly 1.5 million people — have lost someone they knew to a road crash.
288,000 lost someone to a criminal act on the road, like speeding, drink or drug driving, or dangerous behaviour.
89% of bereaved families report serious mental health impacts such as PTSD, anxiety, or depression.
43% have considered suicide.
45% experience declines in work or study, and 24% report family breakdowns.
Each death affects not just immediate family, but friends, teammates, colleagues, neighbours, and whole communities. The true ripple effect touches thousands — emotionally, financially, and mentally.
The trauma doesn’t end with the crash. Families are thrown into complex legal, insurance, and judicial systems that more often than not retraumatise rather than support them.
RTSG Counsellor Trish Malone explains, “Many families are not just grieving the loss of a loved one—they’re also battling a system that exhausts them. They come to us broken by court delays, overwhelmed by paperwork, and devastated by a lack of recognition of their pain. Their trauma isn’t just emotional. It’s legal, financial, and social too.”
The NSW Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme, designed to provide support, instead asks grieving families to prove their eligibility through narrow, often inappropriate criteria. Psychological trauma is frequently ignored. Judicial processes often drag on for years, with minimal or inadequate sentences that leave families feeling voiceless — and justice undone.
Even the language we use — calling preventable deaths “accidents” — minimises the seriousness of these crimes and adds to families’ anguish.
Change Is Essential.
This is why RTSG is calling for urgent, evidence-based reform, as outlined in our Law Reform Manifesto:
A Serious Road Crimes Act to properly recognise the criminal nature of fatal road offences.
A dedicated CTP claims pathway for victims of road crime, recognising psychological injury.
Stronger sentencing guidelines that reflect the seriousness of road crime.
Victim impact panels and trauma-informed court processes to give families a voice.
Respectful and accurate language across insurance, legal, and media systems.
These are not radical ideas — they are necessary, practical steps to address a crisis that continues to grow.
The Ripple Effect Can’t Be Ignored
From 2020 to 2023, road deaths in NSW rose three years in a row — the first time this has happened since the 1970s. Despite safer vehicles and better infrastructure, lives are still being lost because attitudes toward risk and responsibility remain unchanged.
If we are serious about achieving Towards Zero, we must recognise that road trauma is not just a transport issue. It’s a public health crisis. A social justice issue. A human rights issue.
As Trish Malone says, “These families are doing their best to survive the worst thing imaginable. The least we can do is build systems that support — not compound — their grief.”
RTSG remains committed to helping families find support, honour their loved ones, and advocate for change.
For support or to learn more about our advocacy and reform priorities, visit www.roadtraumasupportnsw.org.
RTSG
30 April, 2025