New England and Oxley police districts record 21 road deaths in 2022 in 'concerning' fatal crash increase

There were 21 road deaths in the Oxley and New England districts in 2022, new data from Transport for NSW has revealed.

The Tamworth region was one of the worst for fatal crashes, with four people sadly killed.

Peel Highway Patrol manager Inspector Kelly Wixx told the Leader each death had a rippling impact.

"Quite a few [fatal crashes in 2022] involved local community members, and their loss is going to be felt not only for their immediate family, but also friends and the wider community, for many years to come," she said.

In the same areas in 2021, 13 people were killed in car crashes, while 18 people died in 2020.

"We've seen a steady increase in the last few years of our fatal statistics increasing," Inspector Wixx said.

"I'm really concerned about that because it indicates that it could potentially increase again."

In 2022, four people lost their lives on roads in the Tamworth area, as well as in the Narrabri and Glen Innes regions.

Two local men and a teenage boy were tragically killed in the one crash in the Narrabri shire when two utes collided on the evening of June 15 last year.

Three people died on Armidale roads in 2022 - two in the same day - and two in Walcha.

One person was killed in each of the Gunnedah, Liverpool Plains, Uralla and Tenterfield areas.

The Moree Plains recorded no fatalities last year.

Inspector Wixx said it will take time and investigation for police to piece together exactly how some of the horror road crashes occurred, but reminded drivers to be cautious.

"We urge drivers to take greater responsibility whilst they're behind the wheel," she told the Leader.

"Ultimately the responsibility is up to you to drive safely and ensure that you are conducting yourself in a safe manner, not only for you and you passengers, but for everyone on the roads."

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Transport for NSW deputy secretary of safety, environment and regulation Tara McCarthy said the easing of COVID restrictions, extreme weather events and increased activity saw fatalities rise to 288 across the state in 2022, but that was still below the pre-COVID average of 363.

"Any death or serious injury on our roads are one too many," she said.

So far this year, a 26-year-old woman and her young daughter were tragically killed in a crash near Boggabilla last week, while a man suffered fatal injuries in a rollover near Tenterfield on Friday.

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