Encouraging safer road use

The National Road Safety Strategy recognises that road trauma levels will continue to be greatly influenced by the behaviours of individual road users. In the ‘Safe Speeds’ and ‘Safe People’ intervention areas, the National Road Safety Strategy puts forward a wide-ranging agenda of directions and ‘first steps’ actions focused on managing the risk behaviour of drivers and other road users. This agenda remains important and will continue to be progressed by states and territories. However, a number of specific issues have been identified for national attention over the next three years.

The following actions aim to:

  • improve the safety of heavy vehicle operations through stronger compliance measures
  • build community support for appropriate speed management measures
  • create low-speed environments in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist activity
  • strengthen measures to reduce drink driving behaviour
  • enhance the effectiveness of national police enforcement operations.

Actions

10. Strengthen speed compliance provisions in the Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL).

Responsibility

National Transport Commission

Implementation:

National Transport Commission to assess proposal to empower enforcement officers to ground heavy vehicles travelling 15 km/h or more over the posted speed limit; and to develop implementation options for consideration by Transport Ministers.

National Transport Commission to progress related proposal to enable heavy vehicles travelling at speeds over 115 km/h to be deemed to have non-compliant speed limiters.

Intermediate:

Transport and Infrastructure Council to consider proposed implementation arrangements.

By end-2017:

Implementation of Heavy Vehicle National Law (HVNL) changes as agreed by Transport Ministers.

11. Implement measures to improve heavy vehicle roadworthiness.

Responsibility

National Transport Commission and National Heavy Vehicle Regulator

Implementation:

Examine the operation and effectiveness of periodic roadworthiness inspections, industry accreditation schemes, including the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, and other roadworthiness assurance practices.

Develop recommendations for the implementation of a more effective national roadworthiness regime.

Intermediate:

Transport and Infrastructure Council to consider proposed improvements to heavy vehicle roadworthiness assurance processes.

By end-2017:

Implementation of arrangements as agreed by the Council.

12. Implement programmes to build community understanding and support for effective speed management measures.

Responsibility

Austroads. States and territories

Implementation:

Austroads project work will examine potential ways of building community understanding and identify suitable interventions to trial in one or more jurisdictions. Recommended interventions will be considered for trial implementation.

By 2016

Completion of initial project work with recommended interventions to be trialled.

By end-2017:

Trial interventions to be initiated.

13. Expand the application of lower speed limits in areas with high pedestrian and cyclist usage.

Responsibility

States and territories in consultation with local governments

Implementation:

States and territories to work with local governments and key stakeholders to identify candidate areas and progressively implement reduced speed zones.

By end-2017:

Increased kilometres of the road network where there is high pedestrian and cyclist activity, covered by lower speed limit zones.

14. Continue to review and adjust alcohol interlock programmes to improve their effectiveness in addressing convicted drink driving offenders.

Responsibility

States and territories

Implementation:

States and territories to review the use of alcohol interlocks for drink driving offenders.

By end-2017:

Jurisdictions to have reviewed their alcohol interlock schemes for convicted drink driving offenders and considered potential improvements.

15. Strengthen national police enforcement operations to improve road safety compliance.

Responsibility

States and territories. Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency (ANZPAA)

Implementation:

States and territories to work with ANZPAA to identify and implement improvements to national enforcement operations, including opportunities to strengthen Operation AUSTRANS (a nationally coordinated police operation targeting road safety issues in the heavy vehicle transport sector) and Operation Crossroads (a nationally coordinated policing campaign targeting a range of road safety offences in major holiday periods).

By end-2017:

Demonstrable improvements to enforcement operations and compliance outcomes.