There were 34 people killed and 196 seriously injured in car crashes in the Pilbara between 2020 and 2024, according to the Road Safety Commission.
Of the 1108 reported crashes on roads in the Pilbara, 15 per cent or 230 resulted in at least one person being killed or seriously injured.
That equates to a rate of 77.5 people killed or seriously injured per 100,000 people in the Pilbara, well above the Perth metropolitan rate of 49.9 per 100,000 but below the regional average of 90.8 per 100,000.
The Pilbara also had one of the better rates when compared to other regions, beating the Wheatbelt, Kimberley, Goldfields-Esperance and Mid West-Gasgoyne which all recorded rates above the regional average.
Nearly two-thirds or 63 per cent of people killed or seriously injured were male, with 46 per cent of those being aged between 20 to 39 years of age.
Forty-three per cent of the crashes occurred on roads with speed limits of 100km/h with speed, fatigue and not wearing seatbelts being the main contributing factors in the crashes.
It comes as the Australian Road Safety Foundation releases new rural road fatality data as part of Rural Road Safety Month this September.
According to the data, drivers are being complacent on rural roads with 29 per cent admitting to relaxing their safety standards when outside cities.
Thirty-four per cent of WA drivers confessed to breaking road rules while driving in the regions, with 22 per cent of those believing it was safe to do so.
Speeding was the most common contributing behaviour with 42 per cent of drivers admitting they had sped on rural roads, followed by driving while fatigued and using a mobile phone.
ARSF founder and chair Russell White, said the findings stressed the urgent need for ongoing education and awareness that targets driver attitudes directly.
“These statistics aren’t just numbers, they represent choices,” he said.
“Every time someone picks up their phone, speeds, or skips a rest break, they’re making a decision that could cost a life.
“With more than eight in 10 Western Australians (84 per cent) using regional roads — and more than four in 10 (46 per cent) doing so at least monthly — the message is clear: rural road safety isn’t just a regional issue, it’s a Statewide responsibility.
“The good news is that our research also showed the potential for real change — change that could prevent mothers, fathers, partners, friends, and children from losing a loved one,” he said.
“The data shows that education works. People respond to reminders, stories, and signs so our goal for Rural Road Safety Month is to ensure those messages are seen, heard and felt in the moments that matter.”
WA Police have also been cracking down on unsafe driving in the North West.
Between July 30 and August 27, WA Police conducted a regional road safety operation in the Mid West-Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley.
During the operation, 440 motorists were issued infringements, including 173 speeding tickets.
Other offences included 150 unlicensed vehicles, 16 driving without authority, 15 for impaired driving, and 10 using a mobile phone while driving.
The operation also found more than 90 drivers driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and impounded 18 vehicles.
Commander of road policing Mike Peters says addressing unsafe road-user behaviour was a key priority for the WA Police Force.
“The North West of our State experiences a significant increase of visitors between April and August each year, which increases the potential for serious traffic crashes,” he said.
“The infringements given over this operation directly correlate to ‘the fatal five’ — offences which we know are over-represented in serious and fatal crashes in our State.
“Road policing command will continue to work as hard as we can in the enforcement space to ensure people are safe on our roads.”
