An independent report into the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) has found that vital targets are not being met, intentions are not being implemented and the lives of up to 12,000 Australians could be lost in the next 10 years if the shortcoings are not addressed.
The damning report that follows an inquiry into the NRSS makes 12 recommendations calling for improvements in road safety leadership, resourcing, performance monitoring and innovative technology.
“A key finding of the inquiry is implementation failure,” the report says.
“There is a disconnect between noble intentions, resourcing the actions and road safety practice.
It estimates that without drastic improvement to the current situation, 12,000 people will be killed and 360,000 injured in the next 10 years at a cost of over $300 billion.
It found the NRSS, which was jointly agreed Federal, State and Territory Governments, was not on track to reach its 2020 targets.
“We accept that we are making the roads, vehicles and users ‘safer’, but frequently miss the opportunity to make them “SAFE” outright,” the report says.
“The distinction is subtle but vitally important.”
It said that to provide a safe transport system, Governments must move from ‘a coping mechanism’ to one that ‘fixes the problem once and for all’.
It said many safety aspects agreed in the current strategy had not received sufficient focus or resources.
“These relate to accountability, the scale and source of funding, gap analysis, capacity building, change management, quality assurance, technology, insurance and organisational culture,” the report said.
Accepting the report, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Michael McCormack said it would now be considered by the Government with a formal response provided in due course.
Mr McCormack thanked the co-Chairs of the inquiry, Associate Professor Jeremy Woolley and Dr John Crozier, as well as the Principal Advisers Lauchlan McIntosh and Rob McInerney.
The independent 85-page report into the NRSS can be accessed at this PS News link.
