RAC has welcomed the WA Government’s announcement of the first stage of local roads that will receive safety upgrades under an expansion of the Regional Road Safety Program.
The confirmation of the first stage, which will see $39 million allocated to 27 projects that span 428km, follows a five-year, $125 million commitment towards the Regional Road Safety Program in this year’s State Budget.
RAC General Manager External Relations, Will Golsby, said RAC, alongside WALGA, had advocated for the program to be expanded to local roads for several years.
“This announcement is a significant step in delivering injury-preventing and life-saving safety upgrades on local government roads, including widening, sealed shoulders, and audible centre and edge lines,” Mr Golsby said.
“According to the WA Road Safety Commission, 75 per cent of people killed on regional roads live in the local shire or the shire next door, so the benefits of these road upgrades will be felt in local homes and communities.”
Between 2020 and 2024 more than 500 people lost their lives and over 2,500 were seriously injured on WA’s regional roads. Half of these crashes occurred on local government roads.
“Last year saw Western Australia record its worst level of road deaths in a decade, and we are tragically on track to eclipse this alarming record yet again,” Mr Golsby said.
“Apart from the immeasurable personal and social impacts, the financial cost of road trauma is estimated to be $2.4 billion per year.
“With the full program currently costed at $552 million and aimed at delivering improvements to 8,200km of local roads, this week’s announcement and the commitment already announced in the state budget earlier this year, are strongly welcomed.
“The journey to delivering this project has started and it’s crucial additional investment is provided to ensure it can be delivered in full as soon as possible.”
Delivering these initiatives will help achieve state and national road safety strategies while also responding to Infrastructure Australia’s priorities on regional road improvements. Most importantly, it will prevent countless West Australians from being killed or seriously injured.
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Media contact: RAC Media, 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au
