While RAC has welcomed a new, independent focus on the poor safety of WA’s regional road network in the latest Infrastructure Australia report, it only further intensifies calls for the State and Federal governments to fund a Regional Road Safety Package which will save lives and stop serious injuries on our roads.
The latest Infrastructure Priority List identifies safety improvements on WA’s regional and rural road network as a High Priority Initiative, however there remains a lack of clarity about how and when governments will fund and deliver them.
RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs Will Golsby said it’s positive to see regional road safety highlighted in the report, but what’s needed now is real government action.
“While it’s encouraging to see Infrastructure Australia recognise safety upgrades to WA’s regional road network as a high priority, right now our concern is these remain as just words on a page.
“The State and Federal Governments need to step up and fund the Regional Road Safety Package in their upcoming budgets, to stop the unacceptable number of deaths and serious injuries on WA’s regional roads.”
The Regional Road Safety Package would see life-saving upgrades to 17,000 kilometres of WA’s regional roads, however it currently remains an unfunded proposal, with the State and Federal Governments yet to commit the funding required to deliver the entire package.
“WA is consistently one of the worst in the nation when it comes to road trauma, with someone killed or seriously injured on our roads every five hours,” Mr Golsby said.
“Our country towns in particular are some of the most dangerous places to drive in the country, with deaths on regional WA roads occurring at four times the national average.
“What we need urgently is a commitment from governments to address the road safety epidemic in regional Western Australia, by funding a real solution that we know will prevent more than 2,000 people from being killed and seriously injured on our roads."
The Regional Road Safety Package will
- Prevent more than 2,100 serious crashes causing death and serious injury.
- Upgrade 17,000 kilometres of regional roads across WA
- Reduce regional road trauma by 60 per cent.
- Create more than 500 direct and indirect jobs annually.
- Reduce the cost of road trauma in WA which is currently $900 million per year.
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RAC Media Contact: Caitlin Barr, 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au
