Christmas road toll reaches 28

Australian roads claimed 28 lives during the Christmas period - the same number as last year.

South Australian roads were deadliest with eight fatalities including a teenager and a two-year-old.

The 12-day period was far more costly for SA than the same stretch of time a year ago, when there was just one road death.

Four of the fatalities happened during a horror 24 hours over December 28 and 29.

NSW roads were nearly as deadly, with seven deaths including two motorcyclists and an elderly woman who was run over in a car park in the State's north.

Queensland and Victoria both recorded four deaths, one fewer each than last year.

An additional three Queensland deaths were not included in the official count, being deemed not to satisfy reporting criteria.

They included a pedestrian death, a death following a medical condition and another believed to be suspicious.

Western Australia recorded three road fatalities, Tasmania two, and the Northern Territory and ACT were both fatality free.

The figures are a big improvement on two years ago, when the Christmas toll hit 48.

The national road toll period runs from midnight on December 23, 2013, until 11.59pm on January 3, 2014, local times, in line with the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Board.

TOLL BY STATE

* SA - 8

* NSW - 7

* VIC - 4

* QLD - 4

* WA - 3

* TAS - 2

* ACT - 0

* NT - 0