Secret road safety data to be ‘unlocked’ from states
Federal government to withhold road funding unless states and territories provide road trauma data in bid to tackle rising road tollThe federal government has vowed to withhold road funding from the states and territories unless they provide previously secret road trauma data that can be used by safety authorities to combat Australia’s worsening road toll.
Responding to pressure by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and other stakeholders, the federal transport, infrastructure and regional development minister, Catherine King, has this week announced that the government’s upcoming five-year funding agreements with the states will now be tied to the sharing of road safety data.
This data includes the causes of crashes, the condition of roads and the effectiveness of traffic policing – key details that, for the first time, will be used to create a nationally consistent data set to guide future road safety initiatives.
“A clear picture, underpinned by data, about where best to target road safety funding will save lives and ensure we are investing in the projects that will make the biggest difference,” the minister said.
Australia’s road toll hit a seven-year high in 2023 with 1266 fatalities recorded, and to the end of March this year (the most recent statistics available) stands at 320 – putting us on track for another bad year.
The AAA, which is the national body representing state and territory motoring clubs such as the RACV and NRMA, described the government’s move to secure road trauma data from the states as “the most significant national road safety reform in decades”.
It also said “the information produced will reveal why our nation’s road toll is rising by almost 10 per cent a year”.
“With more than 100 people killed on Australian roads each month and the toll rising, we need data about the causes of crashes, the condition of roads and the effectiveness of traffic policing to better understand what is going wrong,’’ said AAA managing director Michael Bradley.
“Such data exists, but for too long it has been held by states and territories, rather than being made public and used to create more effective responses to our worsening road safety problems.
“This reform will also clip the wings of politicians who are tempted to invest scarce public money on road projects to win votes in marginal electorates, rather than projects that can save lives.”
The AAA’s Data Saves Lives campaign was a key factor in establishing the new agreement after it secured support from MPs on both sides of the floor, 17 national medical and transport safety-focused groups and thousands of Aussie motorists.
Minister King, who acknowledged the AAA’s advocacy on the issue, said $21 million had been allocated in next week’s federal budget to the National Road Safety Data Hub, to “ensure that the hub can be used effectively by everyone, including decision-makers”.
The Queensland government has already committed to providing previously secret road safety data in an effort to finalise its current funding deal, which is due to take effect from July 1.
Other state and territory governments should also now follow suit, with all expected to be on board before the end of this year.
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