WA road fatalities
We look into the numbers of WA road fatalities, what makes us crash, and how the age of our car affects the outcome
With urgent State and Federal Government action we can prevent more than 2,100 serious crashes from occurring in regional communities. Saving thousands of people from death and serious injury.
The regional road trauma epidemic
In just five years, more than 500 people have been killed and 2,700 seriously injured on WA's regional roads - a devastating reality for our regional communities and the equivalent of wiping out the entire population of a small town.
Shockingly, deaths on regional roads occur at four times the national average.
Nearly 70 per cent of all serious crashes in regional WA involve cars running off the road or drifting into the path of oncoming traffic - deaths and serious injuries that could be avoided with low-cost road upgrades.
The solution: A Regional Road Safety Program
RAC is calling on the State and Federal Governments to fully fund a $900 million Regional Road Safety Program, which would see crucial upgrades across 17,000 kilometres of WA's regional road network:
Upgrade
17,000 kilometres of WA's regional roads
Reduce
Regional road trauma by 60%
Prevent
More than 2,100 crashes causing death or serious injuryA crucial first step
The State and Federal Governments have announced funding for the first part of a Regional Road Safety Program, however a commitment to fully fund and deliver the entire program ($900 million) over four years is urgently needed.
Frequently asked questions
What are low-cost safety treatments?
Low-cost safety treatments are cost-effective road upgrades which can significantly reduce the risk and severity of a crash. The treatments this program would fund include:
Audible Line Markings:
Also known as rumble strips, Audible Tactile Line Marketing (ATLM) are narrow lines of raised or grooved material along the edge or in the centre of a road, designed to alert the driver when they're drifting out of their lane or into oncoming traffic. The sound and vibration of a tyre passing over these lines allows the driver to correct their path, reducing the likelihood of a crash.
Sealed Road Shoulders:
Sealed road shoulders refer to the asphalted or sealed strips at the edge of a road, outside of the white lines that mark a traffic lane. Unsealed road shoulders are usually gravel or grass and make it difficult to steer and brake at high speed, increasing the chances of a crash.
How do low-cost safety treatments save lives?
Low-cost safety solutions alert drivers when they're veering out of their lane, and allow them both the time and space to correct their path, reducing the risk and severity of a crash.
How much would the Regional Road Safety Program cost?
The Regional Road Safety Program would invest $900 million into upgrading 17,000 kms of WA's regional roads. This is just two per cent of the taxes WA motorists are expected to pay to the State and Federal Governments each year (based on 2019-20 budgets), and a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of road trauma on our health system.
What is next for the Regional Road Safety Program?
RAC continues to call on government to fund the Regional Road Safety Program in full, which would deliver $900 million in life-saving upgrades to 17,000 kms of WA’s regional roads.
While it has been proposed as a nine-year program in the past, to deliver the life-saving benefits as quickly as possible it should be prioritised and completed within four.
