This week, the Federal Government released the first National Road Safety Action Plan (2023-2025), which outlines the actions the Australian, state and territory governments will take to implement the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30.
RA has been involved in the development of the Action Plan at various stages over the past two years, most recently when we participated in a high-level Road Safety Roundtable convened by the Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Senator the Hon. Carol Brown, in October 2022.
At that time, RA particularly highlighted challenges in relation to the collection of more comprehensive data around crashes and near misses involving road workers, as well as opportunities to improve regional road safety by prioritising low-cost treatments that can be effective in saving lives.
It is pleasing to see the Action Plan released this week contains commitments in both these areas to deliver action on the part of both the Australian Government and the states/territories.
The Australian Government will:
- Lead research into data relating to workplace crashes and near misses when the road is part of the workplace;
- Establish base data for workplace fatalities involving vehicles; and
- Target future road safety programs to deliver Safe System treatments on high to moderate volume roads
The state and territory governments have committed to:
- Review traffic management policies with particular attention to speed limits at roadwork sites and their enforcement;
- Contribute data to the Australian Government to assist in the establishment of a baseline for workplace fatalities involving a vehicle; and
- Undertake safety risk assessments on high to moderate volume regional roads, identifying key priorities and implementing specific road safety infrastructure improvements to reduce run-off-road and head-on crashes within a 10-year investment program.
RA looks forward to working with all jurisdictions as they deliver on these commitments that will help to keep our industry’s workforce safe and deliver enhanced road safety outcomes for the wider community.
Michael Kilgariff
Chief Executive Officer