NSW's most dangerous highway
THE single stretch of road from north Sydney to Tweed Heads is one of the most dangerous in the state.
According to the NRMA and NSW Volunteer Rescue Association in figures released today, the Pacific Hwy cost $168.1m per year in road trauma from fatalities to minor injuries.
The figure is almost double the next most dangerous road - the Hume Hwy - with a cost of $88.8m per year.
NRMA regional director Graham Blight said it was unsurprising that the cost of crashes on the Pacific Highway amounted to almost three-quarters of a billion dollars while the Princes, Hume and Great Western highways rounded out the costliest roads during 2006-2010.
"There is no silver-bullet solution to reducing crashes on these roads and while the Pacific Hwy is in the process of being upgraded, cost-effective measures such as wire-rope barriers should be considered on other dangerous roads," Mr Blight said.
"At $80 per metre installed, wire rope barriers could help prevent head-on crashes and at that price, could be installed on long stretches of road."
The costs are based on a five year average between 2006 and 2010.
In the five-year period crashes in NSW resulted in 2163 deaths, 124,061 injuries and cost the state's economy $13.8b.
