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1-07-06 Failed Road Safety Policy - June 07
Australia
road toll is rising while it used to be improving and while other
countries are improving.
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Failed
road safety policy. June 07.
The road toll in Australia is worsening in spite of the most massive
road safety campaign in history, the speed kills campaign supported
by extensive media coverage, lower limits, tougher penalties and
stringent law enforcement using automated devices.
It is worsening against a steady improvement over the previous
sixteen year period which ended in 2004. [1] It is also worsening
against improvements overseas where wet and icy roads are more
prevalent than Australia. In 2004/05 there was a 7% fall in the
OECD median road death rate per 100,000 population. [2] Australia’s
rate however rose by 2% - a 9% discrepancy. Germany’s 2006
data shows a continued 7% improvement attributed largely to strict
lane discipline. [3]
Our roads are safer, vehicles are safer, paramedics more skilled,
drought affected roads are dry, the public have never been more
aware of speed limit enforcement, penalties have never been tougher.
These factors should have driven the road toll lower than before.
They have not, it is rising. Clearly more of the same is not only
not working, it is killing people.
In 1999 the NRSS (National Road Safety Strategy) targeted a 40%
reduction in road deaths by 2010 but has admitted a substantial
gap exists between actual and required outcomes. Tragically we
are over 200 lives lost per year behind projected outcomes. [4]
The major cause of the increasing toll is blamed on speeding while
the studies used to justify the use of speed cameras are disturbingly
misleading. They claim that nearly 40% of road fatalities are
caused by speeding [5] yet fail to identify that not even 2% (two
percent) are caused through travel above set speed limits. [6]
The majority of “speeding” fatalities are therefore
caused through travel too fast for the conditions but below the
speed limit where speed cameras are unable to function. The studies
do not segment above and below the limit data whilst the measures
they recommend only target the 2% above the limit fatalities,
not the 98% below.
Below-the-limit fatalities comprise approximately 1600 lives lost
each year yet with impossible to achieve national speed limit
compliance the current policy can at best save around 32 lives
per year. Additionally, rogue, tech savvy young drivers know where
speed cameras are situated resulting in travel too fast for the
conditions, especially on bends where there are no speed cameras.
A major reason for the failure of the policy is the extreme focus
on the dangers of above the limit travel to the exclusion of nearly
all other risk factors. This implies that travelling below the
speed limit is safe, leading to complacency, inattention and increased
fatalities. Additionally, the current policy of hidden speed cameras
has actually impaired driver awareness through adding to an increasing
list of dangerous distractions.
We have a system that has failed with tragic consequences. New
thinking and urgent action is required in order to save lives
on Australian roads, to bring us back into line with previous
road crash fatality reductions and to bring us into line with
other countries. We have fallen behind OECD standards and could
soon be compared to developing nations where vehicle use is new
and fatalities high.
Our message is simple, we want a common sense road safety policy
that saves lives.
1) Target and raise awareness of the dangers of below-the-limit
speeding.
2) Position highly visible speed cameras precisely at confirmed
black spots.
3) Implement strict “Keep left unless overtaking”
lane discipline and tailgating penalties.
4) Increased vehicle handling and skid control skills to be required
of new licence applicants.
5) A more visible police presence required on our roads.
It is time to stop listening to those who orchestrated the failed
road safety policy. It is time for new thinking, time for urgent
action. Every day that we wait means more lives lost.
[1] http://www.roadsense.com.au/facts.html
- Historic data.
[2] http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/2007/Int_comp_05.aspx
- ATSB International Comparisons
[3] http://www.destatis.de/basis/e/verk/verktab6.htm - German
data.
[4] http://www.atcouncil.gov.au/documents/atcnrss.aspx - 2006
Progress Report, Page 2
[5] http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/downloads/speedprobl_dl1.html
40% - Speeding
[6] http://www.roadsense.com.au/misleading_data.html - Queensland
Parliamentary Travelsafe Committee study no 15 – 1994
www.RoadSense.com.au
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