Government's call for road safety strategy

The Federal Government is seeking feedback from the community for its National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020. Just two weeks remain for submissions to be made, so readers keen to take part need to get their skates on.

Why should people take an interest in this document? Chair of the Safety Standing Sub-Committee, Alan Tesch, explains in the foreword to the draft that the average casualty rate around the country per day is four deaths and 80 injuries. Furthermore, very few people are unaffected by the road toll. The draft document can be downloaded from this website.

The government aims to reduce the road toll nationally by 30 per cent through an holistic approach targeting road design, improving on-board safety systems in vehicles and ensuring drivers adhere to the road rules -- with "appropriate sanctions" for those who don't.

Since 1979, the national road toll has fallen from 3500 deaths per annum to around 1500 (as of 2009). The government's aim to reduce deaths by 30 per cent therefore seems achievable, based on the earlier precedent. Many in the automotive industry expect the rate of deaths and injuries to decline as more vehicles on the road offer the benefits of stability control systems and airbags, but further road safety gains from vehicle design are likely to plateau as the automotive industry grapples with the need to balance crash safety against lighter vehicle construction for the sake of the environment.

According to the government, the rate of reduction for death and serious injuries on the roads has slowed during the years 2004 to 2009. In fact, a certain type of crash (single-vehicle fatalites) actually increased during that period. By implication, the whole process of reducing the road toll on an annual basis is close to stalling and needs to be rebooted -- hence the draft proposal for the new strategy.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...