The Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT) has unveiled a 10-year strategy to reduce the number of lives lost on State roads.
Announced by the Minister for Road Safety, Vincent Tarzia, South Australia’s Road Safety Strategy to 2031 sets an ambitious 10-year target to drastically reduce the number of lives lost on roads, from the current three-year average of 96 per year to fewer than 43 per year by 2031.
Mr Tarzia said the Strategy also set a target to reduce serious road injuries by more than 30 per cent by 2031, from 708 to fewer than 474.
He said the ambitious targets were the first steps towards achieving zero lives lost on South Australian roads by 2050.
“The Government is finalising a rolling three-year action plan to set the activities, responsibilities and timeframes to best implement the Strategy and create the greatest impact on saving lives, reducing serious injuries on our roads and creating safer communities,” Mr Tarzia said.
The Minister said strategic focus areas of the Strategy included: Road user behaviour; vehicles; roads; regional and remote areas; workplaces; Aboriginal road safety; older road users; walking, cycling and public transport; and young drivers and riders with a focus on those living in regional or remote areas.
“Every life lost and serious injury on our roads is preventable,” he said.
“The residual effects of crashes are devastating for the families and loved ones of victims, and for those who support the seriously injured.
“This Strategy is an important journey we must take with every South Australian and especially those from the regions where most lives lost occur,” Mr Tarzia said.
The Department’s 75-page Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
