A total of 352 people lost their lives on New South Wales (NSW) roads in 2019 with more middle-aged men being killed than young drivers.

The latest figures show that 115 men aged 30 to 59 died on the state’s roads last year – up by 13 on 2018. Overall the road death toll increased by five.

Bernard Carlon, Executive Director of the Centre for Road Safety, is calling for drivers to make road safety a priority this year.

“Our research tells us that men admit to taking more risks when they drive alone – especially speeding,” he said.

“In 2019 84 people died in speed related crashes where a man was driving alone. Speeding is once again the biggest killer on NSW roads – 138 people (about 39 percent) lost their lives on our roads because someone was driving too fast in 2019.”

The latest statistics also revealed a reduction in pedestrian deaths in 2018 which have fallen from 69 to 46.

$1.9 billion is being invested over five years in NSW to deliver the Road Safety Plan 2021 including $820 million for the Safer Roads Program.

Drivers can check http://www.livetraffic.com for updates on major roads before travelling.