Victoria has joined with Federal, State and Territory Governments on a new action plan to reduce road trauma across Australia.
Released by the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and the Arts, the new plan is the first Action Plan under the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–30.
Welcoming the National Road Safety Action Plan (2023–2025), national Australian Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King said it laid out the actions that Federal, State and Territory Governments would take over the next three years to implement the nine priority areas in the Strategy.
Ms King said important Commonwealth actions included improving regional and remote road safety through targeted road safety infrastructure programs; progressing the uptake of new vehicle safety features and technologies; and building and upgrading heavy vehicle rest areas.
“The Australian Government is working to reduce road deaths and serious injuries across the country, engaging closely with State, Territory and local governments, as well as other stakeholders, to implement the National Road Safety Strategy,” Ms King said.
“This thorough consultation process has resulted in a National Road Safety Action Plan with achievable and meaningful actions for the Australian and State and Territory Governments to deliver to 2025 in pursuit of our shared priorities,” she said.
“No deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by 2050 is the Australian Government’s ‘Vision Zero’ commitment, but we all need to play our part.”
Ms King said the Plan committed all Australian Governments to developing a National Road Safety Data Collection and Reporting Framework.
She said the framework would provide a clearer way to build a national data set for road safety that provided insights into where serious injuries and deaths were occurring and their contributing factors.
“The Action Plan also includes the development of a National Research Framework to improve coordination, test new concepts and ideas, develop best-practice approaches and consider emerging issues,” the Minister said.
Ms King said this process would commence with a review into research which was currently being undertaking by institutions across the country.
The 25-page Action Plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
