The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) has released the State’s first ever road safety action plan to drive down road trauma by focusing on groups who are over-represented in deaths and serious injuries on Victorian roads.
The TAC said its Road Safety Action Plan 2021-2023 would be delivered by the Road Safety Partners of Victoria, including the TAC; the Department of Transport; the Department of Justice and Community Safety; the Department of Health; and Victoria Police.
Minister for Road Safety, Ben Carroll said $385.8 million over four years was allocated to deliver the Plan through new safety infrastructure, strategies to increase public awareness and innovative programs to protect vulnerable road users.
“The plan will focus on cohorts of Victorians who either experience or cause harm on our roads, including dangerous drivers, people who work on the roads, and vulnerable groups like young people, motorcyclists, pedestrians and the elderly,” Mr Carroll said.
“Frequent and high-risk offenders will be targeted through reviews of drink and drug driving laws and penalties, the development of new vehicle immobilising technologies, and new approaches to address the root causes of high-risk traffic offending,” he said.
“The Action Plan will see 35 additional speed and red-light cameras installed at high-risk intersections and two new networks of cameras on freeways to deter dangerous driving like speeding – which contributes to 30 per cent of fatal crashes on Victorian roads.”
Mr Carroll said the Plan also included initiatives to protect and increase public awareness of those at highest risk on the roads, including food delivery riders, roadside workers, cyclists and pedestrians.
The TAC’s 19-page Action Plan can be accessed at this PS News link.
