'Falling apart': Major SA highways given lowest possible safety rating

Parts of the Sturt Highway, which connects Sydney to Adelaide and provides an integral part of the country's freight network, have been given the lowest possible safety rating by the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP).

It is one of several major Australian highways that had sections rated one out of five stars, with South Australian data released publicly for the first time.

Led by Austroads, the AusRAP safety rating identifies which roads pose the highest risks of death and serious injury, and where road upgrades will have the greatest life-saving impact.

Ratings take into account a range of risk factors, including travel speeds, traffic volume, road surface condition, barriers and roadside hazards, as well as lane and shoulder width.

The Sturt Highway runs through South Australia's Riverland, as do four other highways which received one-star ratings in parts: the Goyder, Stott and Mallee highways.

The news is no surprise to third-generation truck driver Gavin Knight, who said road conditions have worsened in the almost three decades he has been operating.

"The Sturt Highway is an utter disgrace," he said.

"It's actually falling apart."

'Dangerous' driving conditions

Mr Knight said he had experienced several near misses while travelling in overtaking lanes, which "aren't long enough or acceptable for road trains".

"Sometimes it can be very dangerous," he said.

"There's certain parts of the road, we actually have to get off the road because you just get shaken."

Mr Knight said the Sturt Highway should be extended to four lanes in some stretches, while the edges on the Goyder Highway needed to be improved.

"I'm surprised there haven't been more deaths yet."

Sixty people lost their lives on South Australian roads in the first six months of 2026, while 444 suffered serious injuries, according to the Royal Automobile Association (RAA) of SA.

Clock ticking on safety target

Fifty-five per cent of travel on South Australia's highways occurs on three-star or better roads, against a national target of 80 per cent by 2030.

Other highways in SA listed as having one-star ratings in part included the Dukes Highway, Princes Highway, Southern Ports Highway, Barrier Highway, Outback Highway, Eyre Highway and Flinders Highway.

RAA road safety manger Charles Mountain said the ratings provided governments with a clear picture of which areas of road needed to be prioritised.

He said just because a stretch of road was rated one star, in many cases only minor works were needed to bring them up to a safer general standard.

"A low rating doesn't necessarily mean the road is inherently unsafe … but it does mean it is not as safe as other roads," Mr Mountain said.

"Once work is done on a particular corridor or section of road, there's an opportunity for that section to be re-rated."

What are governments doing to improve the ratings?

President of the Murraylands and Riverland Local Government Association and Berri Barmera Council Mayor Ella Winnall said it could be worthwhile for councils to collectively advocate for road funding.

"I think that ensuring that a high-productivity freight route that runs through the Murray-Darling Basin could be a really meaningful federal investment in addressing just some of the socio-economic harm caused by [voluntary] buybacks," she said.

Ms Winnall said council had included this suggestion in their submission to the Basin Plan review, with a report and recommendations to be delivered to the federal government by late 2026.

A South Australian government spokesperson said they were updating their Regional Network Safety Plan with data from the AusRAP ratings.

"Taking factors including traffic volume, safety and pavement condition into account, we prioritise improvements that ensure the greatest benefit to South Australians," they said in a statement.

A spokesperson for acting Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Kristy McBain said the Federal government haD committed $8.1 billion over the next 10 years to road and rail projects in SA.

"Our commitments include the recently completed Sturt Highway upgrade, which delivered upgrades including additional overtaking lanes, intersection and junction upgrades, and improved rest areas," they said.