Transport for NSW figures compiled by the Centre for Road Safety show there was a fatal crash north of Bathurst and east of Bathurst, on the Great Western Highway, throughout 2019.

There were, however, three fatal crashes on the Mitchell Highway either side of Orange during that same year.

One of those three occurred near Vittoria, between Bathurst and Orange, while there were two others between Orange and Wellington.

IN NEWS AROUND BATHURST:

In total, there were 12 accidents between Bathurst and Dubbo in 2019 that either proved fatal or left a person with a serious injury.

In 2018, that figure was again 12, with three fatalities recorded along the 200-kilometre stretch of road.

In 2017, the numbers were far worse; there was a total of 27 accidents along the Mitchell Highway that resulted in serious injury or worse, with four fatalities in that 12 month period.

The Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF), which has launched Rural Road Safety Month this September, released its annual report at the same time.

The annual review showed that two of every three fatal accidents in NSW occur in regional and rural areas, with just one in metropolitan areas, despite a vastly higher population in the state's cities.

About 93 per cent of residents of NSW use high-risk rural roads at least once a year, the research shows, with 47 per cent using the riskiest roads at least once a week.

ARSF founder and CEO Russell White said the research helped to explain the high disparity between the number of road deaths occurring on regional NSW roads compared with urban areas.

"We now have strong evidence that when it comes to preventing road trauma in regional areas, drivers from across greater Sydney and built-up areas carry an equal responsibility to local residents," he said.

About 40 per cent of drivers report behaving more riskily on remote roads out of a belief they won't be caught by the police, he said.

So far this year, 184 people have died on NSW roads - 127 of those on country roads.

As part of Rural Road Safety month, the NSW Government has released a video showing the tragic impacts of a horror crash that killed two young people north of Dubbo in 2018.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole said he hoped the video would show that decisions people make behind the wheel can have fatal consequences, for themselves and those close to them.

"Before you get behind the wheel, stop and think about what you can do to make sure you arrive at your destination safely," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: