RAC is welcoming a commitment recently announced by the WA Nationals to deliver a $900 million program of life-saving regional road upgrades.
According to the WA Nationals, the party will secure the funding required to deliver the entire $900 million Regional Road Safety Program over four years, if successful at the upcoming election.
RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs Will Golsby said it’s great to see a strong commitment to making our regional roads safer.
“We’re pleased the WA Nationals are prioritising road safety in regional communities by committing to delivering the entire $900 million Regional Road Safety Program,” Mr Golsby said.
“Rolled out in full, this program would deliver 17,000kms of low-cost road upgrades, such as rumble strips and widened road shoulders, making roads more forgiving and preventing thousands of serious crashes in our regions.
“Sadly, a simple mistake on a regional road can have life-changing consequences — we’ve seen this in the more than 3,200 people who have been killed or seriously injured on our regional roads in just five years.
“The Regional Road Safety Program will be critical to saving lives and stopping serious injuries on WA’s regional roads.
“The Program will also create significant employment and training opportunities from the outset and inject much needed investment into communities throughout WA.”
RAC also welcomes other road safety related commitments announced by the WA Nationals.
“We strongly welcome a commitment to ensuring all revenue from traffic-related fines is transferred to the Road Trauma Trust Account and re-invested into initiatives that improve road safety,” Mr Golsby said.
“We continue to support enhancing and resourcing the Regional Enforcement Unit to undertake campaigns in regional WA, and increasing the independence of the Road Safety Council, as highlighted in RAC’s 2014 submission to the Review of road safety governance in WA.
“Our submission included the proposal for the WA Road Safety Commissioner to report directly to a joint Parliamentary Standing Committee.
“RAC has also held a long-term position that dividends paid from the ICWA Third Party Insurance Fund should be directed to road safety initiatives.
“Western Australia has one of the worst records for road trauma and it’s encouraging to see road safety recognised as a key issue ahead of the upcoming State Election.”
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Media contact: Caitlin Barr, 0401 703 719 or media@rac.com.au
