Western Australia’s road toll has reached 186 after five people died in crashes over two days, surpassing the 184 deaths recorded across the state in 2025.
Three young people were killed on Friday morning when the car they were travelling in left Yilliminning Road, near Narrogin, and struck trees. The victims were a 23-year-old man, a 22-year-old woman and a 21-year-old man.
Later that evening, a 35-year-old man died when his Kawasaki motorcycle collided with a Triumph motorcycle on Mandurah Road in Dudley Park. The Triumph rider suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
A 41-year-old man was killed on Saturday night in Mumballup, south-east of Bunbury, after his car left the road and hit a tree.
All five victims were declared dead at the scenes. Most of the fatal crashes occurred in regional areas.
Julie Freeman, the shadow minister for road safety, described the rise in the Western Australian road toll as “a heartbreaking milestone that no Western Australian wanted to see”.
“My thoughts are with the families, friends and communities grieving these devastating losses, particularly in Narrogin where three young lives were taken far too soon,” she said.
“Every road death is one too many, but the fact we’ve already surpassed last year’s toll with weeks still to come should be setting off alarm bells.”
Calls for safer regional roads
Ms Freeman said regional communities continued to bear a disproportionate share of the road toll, and called for greater investment in road improvements including sealed shoulders, audible edge lines and overtaking lanes.
She said money from the Road Trauma Trust Account should be used for safety upgrades rather than government administration, adding: “We cannot accept rising road deaths as inevitable.”
In July, RAC head of communications Rhys Heron warned that the state could record more than 200 road deaths for the first time in 18 years if the current trend continued.
A Road Safety Commission spokesperson said reducing fatalities was a complex and constantly changing challenge that required a unified, community-driven approach.
The state government has previously said it will spend millions of dollars on regional point-to-point speed cameras, expand enforcement in school zones and double the number of safety camera trailers on Western Australian roads.
Ms Freeman urged motorists travelling in the lead-up to Christmas to drive to the conditions, avoid fatigue and make safety their priority.
