NSW road toll rises from historic low after year of extreme weather and Covid reopening

Speeding the most common factor in the 288 deaths in 2022, while about 70 people lost their lives in wet conditions

The New South Wales road death toll has risen from a historic low after a year of extreme rainfall, floods and the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

The state government says 288 people died on the roads in 2022, up from the low of 275 in 2021 but still below the pre-pandemic average, which was nearing one death every day.