WA Government scrapes in with a C grade on road safety report card: RAC
13 March 2007
Poor implementation of its road safety strategy, delays in the completion of road safety projects and the failure to get the road safety message through to young drivers means the State Government only scrapes in with a C grade on its road safety report card, according to the RAC.
"The State Government is in the final 12 months of its four-year Road Safety Strategy and they have failed to deliver on many key elements," said David Moir, Executive Manager of Member Advocacy at the RAC.
"This must be a failure in the Government's eye. Their goal was to make WA the safest state in Australia, but four years on we are near the bottom of the class."
Community Safety Minister John Kobelke has just returned from a trip to Europe and the UK to gather more ideas about road safety, ready for the next strategy.
"We would argue that WA already has a number of good, proven ideas contained in the current ‘Arriving Safely' strategy, they just need to be implemented," said David.
"The Government has delivered on its Safer Cars programme but has fallen behind in Safer Roads and Safer Drivers.
"We need less talk and more action."
Progress in State Government's Road Safety Strategy ‘Arriving Safely' 2003-07
RAC's Report Card Summary
| Category |
Grade |
Comment |
| Safer Roads |
C |
• Some additional funding provided for programmes targeting safety problems, but $200m funding boost is required for Main Roads WA to address safety deficiencies eg. many major highways have only two star safety ratings.
• Long delays in setting the criteria for the $103m Safer Roads programme. Insufficient attention to crash history as prime factor in identifying needs. |
| Safer Vehicles |
B |
• Implementation of first major Australian campaign for "Safer Cars Saves Lives" in late 2006.
• Criterion of safety now used as part of decision making for purchase State Government's own car fleet 2007. New policy to be implemented by agencies.
• Some agencies still to finalise a safer driver policy for employees.
• Concerns with unlicensed vehicles in use on WA roads and delays in licensing checks for vehicles. |
| Safer Drivers |
D |
• Delays in identifying and implementing measures to target high risk group: novice drivers.
• Lower levels of RBT checks. Long delays in new programme to target repeat drink drivers.
• Speed camera programme not evaluated. Long delays in processing associated infringements & implementation of new police system. Lower levels of screening of vehicles by speed cameras.
• Unable to implement programme to deter speeding by motorcyclists.
• High rates of unrestrained occupants in fatal crashes.
• Many unlicensed drivers go undetected and delays in driver licence testing. |
| Overall |
C |
• WA fatality rate much higher than target and worse than most other States.
• Increases in fatalities in 2006 and for 2007.
Concerns with increases in hospitalisations of road users involved in road crashes.
• Poor implementation of the State's road safety strategy. Delays in safety projects with carryover of associated funding & inadequate Government commitment.
• Inadequate engagement of safety messages with road users, particularly youth and in rural areas. |
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