A 50-point plan to address Queensland’s road toll has been announced in response to the news that 17 people are killed or seriously injured on the State’s roads every day.
The plan includes tougher measures for drunk and distracted drivers, targeted education campaigns and new transport technology.
Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey said the plan had been informed by a series of road safety-focused community workshops and events held across Queensland over the past 12 months.
“Zero deaths on our roads may sound like an ambitious vision, but it’s the only acceptable vision we can aim for,” Mr Bailey said.
He said every road casualty had a “ripple effect” on individuals, families and communities across Queensland.
Mr Bailey said new cameras that could detect drivers using mobile phones illegally would be trialled in Queensland next year, following the introduction of $1,000 fines for drivers caught using their phone behind the wheel from 1 February 2020.
“Penalties go hand-in-hand with enforcement and under the new action plan the Department of Transport and Main Roads will work with Queensland Police to trial cameras which detect drivers using mobile phones,” he said.
“Road casualties dropped significantly when speed cameras were introduced in the late 1990s.”
He said the latest technology offered the same opportunity to improve road safety by reducing mobile phone distraction.
Mr Bailey said the cameras would also target people not wearing seatbelts.
“The camera trial is just one action captured in the new plan, which we’ve developed following a series of road safety forums in Toowoomba, Townsville, Maryborough, Rockhampton and the sixth Safer Roads, Safer Queensland forum in Brisbane,” he said.
“The action plan has a strong focus on improving our road infrastructure, particularly for pedestrians, bike riders and motorcyclists.”
He noted that Queensland had experienced a 35 per cent decrease in the number of people killed on its roads since 2008-09.
“There is still plenty of work to do, and this action plan will guide us toward the areas that require our greatest focus,” the Minister said.
