THIRTY-FIVE loved ones were missing from family Christmases last year after a tragic 12 months on the Hunter's roads.
The fatal crash toll across nine local government areas increased from 31 in 2022 to 35 in 2023, in a concerning upwards trend being seen across the state.
Newcastle and Hunter highway patrol boss Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes said the human loss behind each statistic was extreme.
"Every single one of those deaths is a person that has a family, that has a group of friends, that has an extended family, and that one person is now absent from their lives," he told the Newcastle Herald.
"Missed weddings, missed birthdays, and missed Christmases.
"The loss of that person will continue to reverberate through those families and communities and friendship groups for many, many years to come."
Two people died on Cessnock's roads in 2022, and 11 were killed in 2023, including the 10 wedding guests that lost their lives in the horror Hunter Valley bus crash on June 11.
The rollover was the deadliest road disaster in Australia in decades, and sent shockwaves through local communities and right across the nation.
Seven people died in crashes at Lake Macquarie last year, compared to five the year before.
There were three deaths each in Singleton and Muswellbrook in 2023, both had two the year before.
In 2022, two people lost their lives on Newcastle roads, and one was killed last year.
Fatalities at Maitland, Port Stephens, the Upper Hunter and Mid-Coast were also included in the numbers.
"It's easy to say we're five more or five less, but every single death on the road has a consequence and it is a protracted consequence that goes on, and on, and on," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
"We are so committed to driving that number down because we see the impact ... and it's something that you really can't understand until you've experienced it."
First responders aren't immune to the trauma either.
"It's one of the more difficult things that police have to deal with - letting someone know that a family member or loved one has passed away," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
"It's even more difficult when it's in sudden circumstances such as in a fatal collision."
There were no deadly crashes in the Newcastle and Hunter during a police road safety operation from December 22 to January 1.
Five people lost their lives elsewhere in NSW in that time, which was three fewer than the year before.
In 2023, there were 315 fatal crashes in the state and 351 fatalities.
That was up from 280 lives lost in 262 crashes in 2022.
"We're still dealing with what is sadly an upward trend in terms of fatal collisions, not only in NSW but in other jurisdictions, and it's something that everyone is going to be working on throughout 2024," Chief Inspector Barnes said.
Police have urged anyone driving or riding on the roads to make safe decisions, and think of their families and others.
Report dangerous or erratic driving to police.
