Parents helping their kids buy a first car should be spending that “little bit more” to ensure the vehicle has at least some up-to-date safety features, the federal transport minister has warned, speaking against the backdrop of a sharp spike in road deaths, particularly among the young. Describing the deaths of more than 1200 people on Australian roads in 2016 as a “tragedy of national proportions”, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester said road trauma was costing governments across the country about $30 billion a year, with an “immeasurable” social impact.