More needs to be done on road safety

RACT is calling on the state and federal governments to put tougher road safety measures in
place in the wake of the latest report into the National Road Safety Strategy by the
Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
Executive General Manager, Membership and Community, Stacey Pennicott has joined Dave on Morning Lifestyle to explain  while the latest statistics for the 12 months to end September 2019 show fewer road deaths than the previous year, little has changed since the strategy was launched in 2011.
In the 12 months to 30 September 2010, there were 34 deaths on Tasmanian roads (source: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics). In the 12 months to 30 September 2019, there were 32 deaths on Tasmanian roads (source: BITRE).
“It is unacceptable that we are nine years into a 10-year strategy to reduce road deaths, and yet our road toll remains almost exactly the same,” Ms Pennicott said.
“And with another two deaths on Tasmanian roads in October, we are facing another bad result on our roads for 2019.
“We need urgent action to address this issue – clearly the work that has been done to date is not fixing the problem.”
The National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020 was signed by all state governments and the federal government on 20 May 2011, with an aim to reduce the annual number of both road deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by at least 30% by 2020.
Ms Pennicott said despite improvements to road infrastructure in Tasmania, as well as marketing campaigns and police crackdowns around the Fatal Five – speed, seatbelts, fatigue, distraction and alcohol/drugs – people were still dying on our roads at alarming rates.
“We expect that the governments will start work on the next National Road Safety Strategy in the coming months, given the current one is due to run out next year,” she said. “Those responsible for setting the new benchmarks need to look closely at what more can be done to stop road deaths.

“We stand ready to work with the government on how this can be addressed and would hope to be part of the process of setting the new strategy moving forward.”