Road safety in Australia needs to improve

An Inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy has delivered 12 Federal Government recommendations which, if implemented, will help transform road safety across the nation.

The recommendations include committing a minimum $3 billion a year to road safety funding and a set "vision zero" target for 2050.

It has also recommended a Cabinet minister be appointed with specific multi-agency responsibilities to address the hidden epidemic of road trauma and its impact on the health system.

According to the report, at least 36,000 people are injured every year on Australian roads, with each one creating an avoidable burden on families, friends, communities, the health sector, insurers and social services.

Estimates suggest this costs the Australian economy more than $30 billion a year.

The Inquiry also recommended the government undertake a national road safety governance review by March 2019, as well as reports published annually outlining how harm can be reduced in the road system.

The report highlights failure to implement road safety strategies as a key finding, stating, “we should not be aspiring to safer roads, but safe ones - we must move from a coping mechanism to one that fixes the problem once and for all”.

Comparing Aussie roads to that of Sweden’s, the report says “we need to accept the Swedish view that there is an ethical imperative not to accept death and injury as a normal consequence of road use. To do anything less is to budget for death”.

The report suggests third parties need to help solve three key issues - speed, distraction and roadside hazards - calling on vehicle manufacturers, telecommunication companies and infrastructure providers such as electricity companies to make roads safer.

ANCAP released a statement commending the report's findings.

James Goodwin, ANCAP chief executive, says an area requiring greater focus is the age of the Australian vehicle fleet and its direct correlation to road fatalities.

“There are more than 2.7 million registered vehicles on our roads aged 15 years or older. These vehicles are unlikely to be fitted with safety features that we now expect from new vehicles," he says.

“A key element to improving the safety of the fleet is improving vehicle affordability.

“New technologies should also be affordable and accessible which will require leadership from not just governments but also industry.”

The report states improving road user competence and awareness through education, enforcement and technology has been and remains a key factor in reducing road crashes.

Driver education and training was not a focus of the report.