Upload
others
View
1
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Our Safety,
Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2016
Our Future
Depar tment of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources
CONTACT DETAILS
Land Transport Safety Division
Department of Infrastructure
Energy and Resources
10 Murray Street
HOBART TAS 7000
12. AppENDIx 1
SuMMARy TABLE
Impact of Strategic Directions on Crash problems
Crash Problem Area
Percentage of Serious Casualties
(1996-2005)
POTENTIAL OF EACH STRATEGIC AREATO ADDRESS CRASH PROBLEM
•••= High, ••= Medium, •= Low
CRASH TYPESafer Vehicle
SpeedsBest Practice Infrastructure
Improved Safety for
Young Road Users
Enhanced Vehicle Safety
Run-off-road crashes 39% ••• ••• •• ••
Intersection crashes 20% ••• ••• •• ••
Head-on crashes 10% ••• ••• •• ••
BEHAVIOURS
Speed 12% ••• ••• •• •••
Inattention 13% ••• ••• •• •••
Failure to wear seatbelts 9% •• •• • ••
Drink Driving 9% •• •• • ••
ROAD USER TYPE
Young road users 19% ••• ••• •• ••
Motorcyclists 15% ••• ••• - ••
Pedestrians 11% ••• ••• • ••
This table demonstrates the relative effectiveness of each Strategic Direction against Tasmania’s
identified Crash Problem Areas.
Contents
1. Minister’sForeword 2
2. MessageFroMtheChairManoFthetasManian
roadsaFetyCounCil 3
3. ourVision 4
4. ourtargets 4
5. BaCkground 5
5.1 TheImpactsofRoadTrauma 5
5.2 AchievementstoDate 5
5.3 NewApproaches 6
6. whattheFuturelookslike 7
6.1 Tasmania’sEconomy 7
6.2 Tasmania’sPopulation 7
6.3 IncreasedRoadTrafficandanOlderVehicleFleet 7
7. tasMania’sroadCrashProBleMareas 8
7.1 WhereandWhendoFatalandSeriousInjuryCrashesOccur? 8
7.2 WhatTypesofCrashesareThey? 10
7.3 WhoisMostatRisk? 10
7.4 WhatBehavioursContributetotheMostSeriousCasualties? 11
8. thewayForward 12
8.1 ContinuingSuccessfulStrategies 12
9. anewaPProaChFortheFuture 14
9.1 ASharedResponsibility 14
9.2 TargetedResponsestoAchieveMaximumInjuryReductions 15
10. FourkeystrategiCdireCtions 16
10.1 SaferTravelSpeeds 16
10.2 BestPracticeInfrastructure 17
10.3 IncreasedSafetyforYoungRoadUsers 18
10.4 EnhancedVehicleSafety 19
11. aCCountaBility 20
11.1 HowwilltheStrategicDirectionsbeDelivered? 20
11.2 MeasuringPerformanceandReporting 20
12. aPPendiX1
� OurSafetyOurFuture
1. Minister’sForeword
Askanyonewhohasbeeninjuredinacrash
orwhohashadsomeoneclosetothem
injuredinacrashandtheyarelikelytotell
youitchangedtheirlivesforever.Itmight
bethattheysustainedaminorinjurythat
restrictstheirmovementfortherestoftheir
life,orperhapstheemotionaltraumathey
experiencedmeanstheyaretoofrightenedto
driveagain.Theymightbeinawheelchairor
theymayhavehadtolearntolivewithhaving
seenabestfriendortheirlifepartnerdie.
Wecantalkaboutroadsafetyinan
impersonalwayasstatisticsandtrends,or
analysingdatabyageandgender,crashcause
orcrashtype.Orwecantrytounderstand
thegriefoflosingachildinacarcrashorthe
lossofmeaningandpurposeifyoucanno
longerearnawagetosupportyourfamily.
Tryingtounderstandwhycrasheshappen
isfundamentaltodetermininghowwecan
preventthem.Butthescienceofroadsafety
shouldneverlosesightoftheemotionaland
financialcosttoourcommunityfromdeath
andinjuryonourroads.
Tasmaniahasmadesignificantprogresswhen
itcomestoreducingroadtrauma.In1976,
108peoplewerekilledontheroad;in2006,
52peopledied.Duringtheperiodcoveredby
thefirstTasmanian Road Safety Strategy
(2002-2006),therewasa25%decrease
inseriousinjuries.Thisisinspiteofa15%
increaseinthenumberofvehicleson
Tasmanianroads.
Buttherealityisthatmostoftheinjuries
anddeathsonourroadsarepreventable.
In2004theUnitedNationsWorldHealth
Organizationrecogniseddeathandinjury
fromroadtraumaasoneoftheprimary
preventablehealthcareissuesforthefuture1.
EveryTasmanianlifeispreciousandasa
communityweneedtoadoptanewapproach
thatrefusestotoleratepreventableinjuryand
death.
TheTasmanian Road Safety Strategy
2007-2016 representsanewwayoflookingat
roadsafety.Itrepresentsanapproachthatno
longerplacesalltheresponsibilityforcrashes
onthevehicledriverormotorcyclerider.
Itacknowledgesthatwecanmakechangesto
ourroadssothatifandwhenadriverdoes
makeamistake,theinjurieswillnotbeas
severeanddeathmaybeprevented.Butitis
alsoanapproachwhichcallsonthedriverto
acceptresponsibilityfortheirownsafety–to
acceptthatasafedriverisusuallyaslower
driverandthatthesaferthecarthebetterthe
outcomeifthereisacrash.
AsMinisterresponsibleforroadsafetyI
believethattheTasmaniancommunityisat
aturningpoint.Wecanchangeourthinking
aboutwhatlevelofinjuryisacceptableand
embracechangeorwecancontinueto
toleratethecurrentlossoflifeandinjury
levels.Ibelieveweasacommunityare
readytoembraceanewapproachtoroad
safetyandturnaroundcurrentlevelsofroad
trauma.IcommendthisnewStrategytothe
Tasmaniancommunityandencourageevery
Tasmaniantoacceptthechallengeofreducing
roadtrauma.
JimCoxMHA
MinisterforInfrastructure
Trying to understand
why crashes happen
is fundamental to
determining how we
can prevent them.
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 �
2.MessageFroMtheChairManoFthetasManianroadsaFetyCounCil
ThereleaseofthefirstTasmanianRoadSafety
Strategyin2002wasasignificantevent.
Therehadbeensignificantmilestonesinroad
safetypriorto2002suchastheintroduction
ofcompulsoryseatbeltsin1973,thelowering
ofthealcoholtoleranceto0.05BloodAlcohol
Content(BAC)in1982,andtheintroduction
ofspeedcamerasin1992.However,untilthe
releaseoftheTasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy
(2002-2006)theapproachtoroadsafetywas
generalisedandlargelyreactive.
Tasmania’sfirstRoadSafetyStrategy
providedatargetedblueprintforroad
safetyimprovementsoverafive-year
period,identifyingproblemareasandlisting
achievablestrategiestoaddressthose
problems.Thevalueofthisstrategicapproach
hasbeenconfirmedbythefactthatserious
injuriesinTasmaniahavereducedby25%over
thelifeofthefirststrategy.
Butwhileprogresshasbeenmade,toomany
peoplecontinuetobekilledandinjuredon
ourroads.Thestrategiesthathavebeen
successfulinthepastarenolongersufficient.
Itisnownecessarytoidentifynewinitiatives
thatwillfurtherreducetheroadtollinwhat
isachallengingandattimesproblematic
environment.Whileroadsafetyfunding
remainsstable,Tasmaniafacesthechallenge
ofincreasingnumbersofvehiclesonour
roads,andthecontinuedpromotionofspeed
andfast,highperformancecarsacrossthe
media.Tomakeasignificantimpactinthis
environment,theTasmanian Road Safety
Strategy 2007-2016mustofferastrategicand
targetedapproachthatfocusesonhighreturn
initiativesthataddresskeyproblemareas.
IndevelopingthenewStrategy,theTasmanian
RoadSafetyCouncil(theCouncil)waskeen
tohearthecommunity’sviewsonroad
safety.Over500individualsandstakeholders
respondedtoourinvitationtoidentifythe
mainroadsafetyissuesthatwereofconcern
tothem.Dangerousdrivingbehaviours
–includingspeed,inattention,drinkanddrug
driving–wereraised,aswellasbroader
issuessuchasyoungdriversafety,safer
vehiclesandspeedlimits.Consistentacross
alltheresponseswasagraveconcernforthe
numberofTasmanianswhocontinuetobe
injuredorkilledinroadcrashes.
ThisStrategyandfirstsupportingAction
Planpresentanewapproach,buildingonthe
foundationofthepastbutaddressingkey
areasofconcernwithtargetedinitiatives.
Theydrawonsuccessfulroadsafety
developmentsfromoverseasandinterstate
whilebeingmindfulofTasmania’sunique
situation.Iamconfidentthatthisnew
blueprintwillensurethatTasmaniacontinues
tobeattheforefrontofroadsafetyreform
andthatitwillresultinfewerseriousandfatal
injuriesonTasmanianroads.
AsChairmanoftheTasmanianRoadSafety
Council,Iamcommittedtocontinuingto
workwiththeTasmaniancommunityto
reduceroadtraumainourState.
GraemeSturges
ChairmanRoadSafetyCouncilTasmania
It is now necessary
to identify new
initiatives that will
further reduce the
road toll in what is
a challenging and at
times problematic
environment.
� OurSafetyOurFuture
3. ourVision
Duringtheperiod1996to2005,4,749
peoplewerekilledorseriouslyinjured
onTasmanianroads.Thisequatesto
approximately48liveslostandmorethan
470peopleadmittedtohospitaleveryyear.
TheTasmanianGovernment’sandthe
TasmanianRoadSafetyCouncil’svisionisthe
eliminationoffatalitiesandseriousinjuries
causedbyroadcrashesinTasmania.This
visionforthefutureislongterm,andcan
onlybeachievedinincrementalsteps.Itwill
nothappenovernightanditcannothappen
withoutthecommitmentandsupportofall
membersoftheTasmaniancommunity.
4. ourtargets
TasmaniaTogetheristheTasmanian
Government’slongtermsocial,economic
andenvironmentalplanforthefuture.Itisa
visionforTasmaniabasedonthewishesof
theTasmanianpeopleandcontainsanumber
ofcommunitygoalsandbenchmarksthatwill
helpshapegovernmentpolicy,servicedelivery
andbudgetsintothefuture.
TasmaniaTogetherincludesanumberof
specifictargetsforroadsafety:
• By2010:20%reductioninseriousinjuries
andfatalitiesfrom2005.
• By2015:20%reductioninseriousinjuries
andfatalitiesfrom2010.
• By2020:20%reductioninseriousinjuries
andfatalitiesfrom2015.
TheTasmanian Road Safety Strategy
2007-2016willprovidethestrategicdirection
tosupporttheachievementofthesetargets.
TheStrategywillbesupportedbyanumber
ofActionPlansoutliningthekeyinitiativesto
beimplementedifwearetoreducefatalities
andseriousinjuriesonourroads.
The Tasmanian
Government’s and
the Tasmanian
Road Safety
Council’s vision is
the elimination
of fatalities and
serious injuries
caused by
road crashes
in Tasmania.
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 �
5. BaCkground
5.1 theiMPaCtsoFroadtrauMa
emotionalimpacts
Roadtraumahasbothfinancialandemotional
impactsonthecommunity.Theemotional
costisimpossibletoquantifyandextends
fromthegriefofthebereavedtotheconstant
struggleofaquadriplegicdealingwitha
permanentdisability.Theemotionalimpact
ofthedeathordisablementofyoungpeople
isparticularlyprofoundandextendsbroadly
throughoutthecommunity.Roadtrauma
affectsnotonlytheinjuredpersonandtheir
immediatefamilyandfriends,butalsopeople
whoworktotreatandrehabilitatethose
injuredincrashes.Inasmallcommunitylike
Tasmania,theseeffectscanbefar-reaching.
Financialimpacts
Thefinancialimpactsofroadtraumaare
significant.Thereareavarietyofmethods
forcalculatingthefinancialcosttosociety
whichtakeintoaccountsuchfactorsaslost
productivity,medicalcosts,propertydamage
andadministrativecosts.Accordingtothe
conservativeHumanCapitalmethod,ithas
beenestimatedthatroadtraumacoststhe
Australianeconomy$18billionperannum.
Usingthesameapproach,itisestimatedthat
roadcrashesinTasmaniacosttheStateon
averagenearly$500millionayear.
RecentTasmanianfiguresindicatethatthe
costofan18yearoldmalewithacquired
braininjuryasaresultofroadcrashwillbe
$12millionincare,supportandmedicalfees
overhislifetime.
ReducingroadtraumaintheStatewouldnot
onlyreducethosecoststothecommunity,
butcreatesavingsbyreducingtheburdenon
thehealthsystem,reducingpersonalinjury
claimsandallowinggreaterinvestmentin
preventativehealth.
5.2 aChieVeMentstodate
national
Therehasbeenasignificantimprovementin
roadsafetythroughoutAustraliainthepast
30years.In2001,Australiaranked11thamong
25OECDcountries,aheadoftheUSAbut
behindSweden,theNetherlandsandthe
UnitedKingdom.Thisimprovementhas
primarilybeentheresultofinitiativessuchas
compulsoryseatbelts,randombreathtesting
andspeedenforcement,supportedbypublic
educationcampaigns,andimprovementsin
vehicledesign.
ThereleaseoftheNational Road Safety
Strategy 2001-2010markedanewapproach
toroadsafetyinAustraliaandhasprovided
directionastobestpractice.Unfortunately
Australiaisnotexpectedtoreachthe
strategy’stargetofa40%reductionin
fatalitiesby2010.
tasmania
ThereleaseoftheTasmanian Road Safety
Strategy (2002-2006)markedtheintroduction
ofastrategicapproachtoroadsafetyin
whichspecificstrategieswereidentifiedfor
particularproblemareas.
Anumberofsignificantreformshavebeen
achievedduringthelifetimeoftheStrategy
including:
• arangeofnovicedriverreformsthathave
placedTasmaniaattheforefrontofyoung
driversafety;
• theintroductionofthecompulsory
carriageoflicence;
• implementationofa50km/hdefault
urbanspeedlimit,whichhasresultedin
reducedseriouscasualtiesinurbanareas;
and
• theestablishmentofcommunityroad
safetypartnershipstofostercommunity
roadsafetyprograms.
Road trauma has
both financial and
emotional impacts
on the community.
� OurSafetyOurFuture
Itissignificantthat,sincetheintroductionoftheStrategy,
therehasbeena25%reductioninseriousinjuriesinthe
State.Incontrast,however,thenumberoffatalitiesover
thesameperiodhasremainedrelativelystable.
5.3 newaPProaChes
TheapproachadoptedintheTasmanian Road Safety
Strategy 2007-2016reflectssignificantroadsafety
developmentsthathavetakenplaceinEuropeover
thepastdecade.ItisnocoincidencethatthoseOECD
countrieswiththelowestfatalityratebypopulationarethe
samecountriesthathavefundamentallychangedtheway
theyviewsafetyontheroads.
sweden
Sweden’sVision Zeroapproachrepresentsone
government’suncompromisingcommitmenttosafety,
basedonthemoralstandingthathumanlifemustbe
protected,whateverthecost.Withthefundamental
premisethatnopersonshouldbekilledasaresultofa
roadcrash,Vision Zerorequiresgovernmenttoprovidea
forgivingroadenvironmenttoaccommodateinevitable
humanerror.Butwhiletheroadsystemisdesignedwith
safetyasitsprimeconsideration,individualdriversarestill
responsibleforabidingbytheroadrules.
thenetherlands
TheNetherlands’Sustainable Safetyapproachaimsto
createatrafficsysteminwhichtheprobabilityofacrashis
limitedbymeansofaninherentlysaferoadenvironment.
Intheeventthatacrashoccurstheaimistoprevent
seriousinjurythroughimprovementsintheroad,the
roadsideandthevehicle.Theroaduserisconsideredto
betheweakestlinkinthechain,andlargelyunpredictable.
IntheNetherlands,theroadnetworkisdesignedand
maintainedaccordingtothreekeyprinciples:functionality
(eachclassofroadhasitsowncharacteristics);
predictability(whereeachroadisclearandunambiguous
regardingitsfunctionandrules);andhomogeneity(where
largedifferentialsinvehiclespeed,massanddirectionalong
anygivenroadareprevented).
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 �
6. whattheFuturelookslike
Thefollowingfactorswillinfluenceroadsafety
outcomesinTasmaniaoverthenextdecade
andbeyond.
6.1 tasMania’seConoMy
Overthepast10yearsTasmaniahas
undergoneaperiodofsignificanteconomic
growth,withrecordlevelsofpublicand
privateinvestmentoverthepastfiveyears.
Increasesineconomicactivityordecreases
inunemploymentareusuallyassociatedwith
increasesinroadtrauma,duetofactorssuch
asincreasednumbersofvehiclesontheroads
andgreaterdisposableincometospend
ontravel.
6.2 tasMania’sPoPulation
Tasmania’stotalpopulationgrowthhas
beensmalloverthepast10years,andour
populationisageing.Anageingpopulationis
expectedtoimpactonthelevelofserious
casualtiesandthenatureofinjuriessustained,
asolderpeople’sbodiesmaybefrail.Older
peoplearemorelikelytosuffertraumain
roadcrashes,particularlyaspedestrians.
6.3 inCreasedroadtraFFiCandanolderVehiCleFleet
AswithelsewhereinAustralia,thenumberof
vehiclesonTasmanianroadsisincreasing.
Inthe10-yearperiodfrom1997to2006total
vehicleregistrationsincreasedfrom418,000
to487,000,anincreaseof16.5%.Inthe
sameperiodthenumberofdriverlicences
increasedby11%from295,750to329,145.
Heavyvehiclesregistrationsincreasedby
21%anditisestimatedthatTasmania’sfreight
growthwilldoubleby2030,withcurrent
trendssupportingthislevelofgrowth.
Inaddition,manyofourroadsareusedby
adiversemixofvehicles,withkeyfreight
routesoftenalsobeingutilisedfortourismor
commutingpurposes.
Tasmaniahastheoldestvehiclefleetin
Australia,withanaverageageof12.5years,
meaningthatalargeproportionofthedriving
populationareunlikelytobeprotectedby
enhancedvehiclesafetyfeatures.
Increases in economic
activity or decreases
in unemployment are
usually associated
with increases in
road trauma, due
to factors such as
increased numbers
of vehicles on the
roads and greater
disposable income to
spend on travel.
� OurSafetyOurFuture
7. tasMania’sroadCrashProBleMareas
Thissectionexamines10yearsofcrashdata
topresentapictureofthekeyproblemareas
forroadsafetyinTasmania.Thedataanalysed
iscollectedbyTasmaniaPoliceandstored
intheCrashDataManagerdatabaseinthe
DepartmentofInfrastructure,Energyand
Resources.
definitions
Inthissectiontheterm‘seriouscasualty’isused
tocollectivelydescribefatalitiesandserious
injuries.Afatalityiswhereapersonwasdead
beforeareportwasmadebyTasmaniaPolice
ordiedupto30daysafterthecrash.Aserious
injuryreferstoapersonbeingadmittedto
hospitalfor24hoursormore.
Unlessotherwisestated,datareferredtoin
thissectionrelatestothetenyearperiod
1996to2005.
seriousCasualtiesintasmania
Between1996and2005therewasatotal
of4,749seriouscasualtiesresultingfromroad
crashesinTasmania.AsFigure1shows,since
2000therehasbeenadownwardtrendin
thenumberofseriousinjuries,whichstabilised
in2004-2005,atanaverageofaround
410peryear.
7.1 whereandwhendoFatalandseriousinjuryCrashesoCCur?
AsFigure2shows,alargeproportionof
seriouscasualtycrashesoccuronroadsthat
carrythehighestvolumesoftraffic.These
includeurbanroads,Statehighwaysanda
numberofsecondaryroads.
Over65%ofseriouscasualtiesoccurduring
daylighthours.Fewercrashesoccuron
Mondays,graduallyincreasingovertheweek,
withapeaknumberoccurringonSaturdays.
Thereareagreaternumberofserious
casualtiesduringsummermonths(December
toMarch)withapeakduringMarch.
A large proportion
of serious casualty
crashes occur on
roads that carry the
highest volumes
of traffic.
Minorinjury Seriousinjury Fatalinjury
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
01996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
Num
ber
ofin
jurie
s
Figure1:numberofinjuries(1996-2005)Source:Tasmanian Crash Data Manager
Figure 2: Example of Traffic Volumes and Serious Casualty CrashesSource: Tasmanian Crash Data Manager 2001-2005 and RIMS Database 2003
6,000 to 60,0003,000 to 6,0001,000 to 3,000 500 to 1,000 0 to 600
Annual Average Daily TrafficFatalitiesSeriousInjuries
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 �
7.2 whattyPesoFCrashesarethey?
Therearethreetypesofcrashesthatresultinasignificant
numberofseriouscasualtiesinTasmania:
run-off-roadCrashes
Themostcommoncrashtyperesultinginseriouscasualties
isrun-off-roadcrashes.Run-off-roadcrashesoccurwhen
avehicleveersofftheroadintothevergeoracrossthe
opposingtrafficlane.Run-off-roadcrashesaccountedfor
over1,870,or39%ofseriouscasualties,whichismorethan
doubleanyothercrashtype.Thenumberandproportion
ofrun-off-roadcrasheshaveincreasedsubstantiallysince
1996andshowedanupwardtrend.Fortypercentoffatal
andseriousinjuriesfromrun-off-roadcrashesinvolved
youngpeopleaged16-25years.Run-off-roadcrashes
typicallyinvolvedmales,whocomprised67%ofthetotal.
intersectionCrashes
Atintersections,thepotentialforconflictishighastraffic
istravellinginopposingdirections.Additionally,themixof
trafficisoftendiverseincludinglightvehicles,motorcycles,
heavyvehiclesandpedestrians.Atintersectionswhere
speedlimitsarehigher,theriskofseriousinjuryisgreater.
Duringtheperiod1996to2005,therewere968serious
casualtiesresultingfromintersectioncrashes,representing
20%ofallseriouscasualties.Thesecrashespredominantly
involvedlightvehicles,butalsoasignificantnumberof
pedestriansandmotorcyclists.Theyofteninvolvedyoung
people(31%),butalsoasignificantnumberofpeopleaged
66yearsorolder(18%).
head-onCrashes
Ahead-oncrashoccurswherevehiclestravellingin
opposingdirectionsimpactoneanotherhead/fronton.
Duringtheperiod1996-20042therewere454serious
casualtiesresultingfromheadoncrashes,representing
10%ofthetotalnumberofseriouscasualties.These
crashestendedtoinvolvelightvehicles(89%)andyoung
peoplerepresented32%ofthetotal.
7.3 whoisMostatrisk?
Table1showsthenumberandproportionofserious
casualtiesforhigh-riskroadusergroupsovertheperiod
1996-2005.
Road user groups
Number of serious casualties
Percentage of serious casualties
16–25yearolds 1,575 33.2
Motorcyclists 705 15.0
66+yearolds 528 11.0
Pedestrians 510 11.0
Children(0-15) 429 8.9
Bicyclists 173 4.0
Heavyvehicledrivers
100 2.0
table1:numberandproportionofseriouscasualties(1996-2005)forhighriskroadusergroupsNote: numbers cannot be added to give total number of serious casualties as
categories may overlap.
Duringtheperiod1996to2005,over33%percentof
seriouscasualtieswereyoungroadusersaged16-25years.
Motorcycleridersandpassengersrepresented15%of
seriouscasualties,withthenumberofseriouscasualties
showinganincreasingtrendoverthepast10years.
Olderroadusers(66+years)accountedfor11%ofserious
casualties,asdidpedestrians(11%).Over58%ofallserious
casualtiesweremale.
10 OurSafetyOurFuture
7.4 whatBehaVioursContriButetotheMostseriousCasualties?
Note:ContributingfactorsarebasedonTasmaniaPolice
opinionatthetimeofthecrash.
speed
Duringtheperiod1996to2005,563seriouscasualties
involvedexcessivespeed(eitherexceedingthespeedlimit
orexcessivespeedfortheconditions),representing12%
ofthetotalnumberofseriouscasualties.Seriouscasualties
involvingexcessivespeedcomprisedsignificantnumbersof
youngpeople-50%wereagedbetween16and25years.
Theyalsopredominantlyinvolvedmales(69%).
Asignificantproportionoftheseinjurieswereasaresultof
run-off-roadcrashes,andoccurredonroadswithaspeed
limitof100km/hor110km/h.
Failuretowearseatbeltsorhelmets
Forthesameperiod(1996-2005),over430serious
casualtiesinvolveddriversorpassengersnotwearing
seatbelts,ormotorcycleridersnotwearinghelmets.
Thisrepresents9%ofthetotalnumberofserious
casualties.Youngroadusersweremuchlesslikelytowear
aseatbeltthanotherroadusers–13%ofyoungserious
casualtiesfailedtowearaseatbeltcomparedto5%of
olderseriouscasualtiesaged66yearsandover.
drinkdriving
From1996-2005420or9%ofseriouscasualtiesinvolved
drinkdriving.Youngroadusersaged16-25years
represented41%ofallseriouscasualtiesinvolvingalcohol.
inattention
Inattentionmayinvolvearangeofbehavioursthat
compromiseadriver’sorrider’sabilitytoapplytheirfull
attentiontodriving/riding.Seriouscasualtiesinvolving
inattentiongraduallyincreasedovertheperiod1996-2005.
Intotal,inattentionaccountedfor623or13%ofallserious
casualties.Inattentioncontributedtoseriouscasualties
acrossallroadusersandavarietyofdifferenttypesof
crashes.Asacontributingfactor,inattentionmaybe
difficulttoclearlydefineandmaybeincreasinglyreported
whereotherfactorsarenotimmediatelyapparent.
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 11
8. thewayForward
8.1 ContinuingsuCCessFulstrategies
Thereareanumberofsuccessfulroadsafety
strategiesthatarealreadyundertakenthat
contributetoreducingseriouscasualtieson
ourroads.Itisessentialthattheseactivities
arecontinuedastheyprovideuswithastrong
baseforanyfutureroadsafetygains.
enforcement
Effectiveenforcementofroadsafetylaws
andregulationsisanessentialcomponentof
anysuccessfulroadsafetystrategy.Tasmania
PoliceplaysacriticalroleinhelpingTasmania
reduceroadtrauma,andhasbeenakey
proponentofmanyeffectiveroadsafety
measures,suchasrandombreathtestingand
speedenforcement.
TasmaniaPolicecurrentlyadoptsan
enforcementstrategythatcombineshigh
visibilityandtargetedenforcementwith
covertactivitiesthatcouldoccur‘anywhere,
anytime’.Maintainingthisenforcementmix
isimportant–researchandpracticehas
consistentlyshownthatthisstrategyisthe
mostsuccessfulinencouragingpositiveroad
safetybehaviour.
DepartmentofInfrastructure,Energyand
Resources(DIER)TransportInspectorsalso
playacriticalroleinpromotingthesafetyof
heavyandpublicpassengervehicles,through
ensuringvehiclestandardsarecompliedwith,
andenforcingsafedrivinghoursrequirements.
TransportInspectorscontinuallyreview
education,complianceandenforcement
activitiestopromotesaferoutcomes.
AnumberofTasmania’sroadsafetyproblem
areas,suchasexcessivespeedanddrink
drivingrelyheavilyonenforcementtoprovide
asafedrivingenvironment.Inorderto
addresstheseissues,itisessentialthatcurrent
levelsofenforcementaremaintained.
roadPrograms
Improvementstotheroadenvironment
potentiallyofferthegreatestopportunityto
reduceroadtrauma.Torealisethispotential
thereisaneedforongoingcommitmentfrom
allthreetiersofgovernment.
LocalGovernmentownsandmanagesthe
majorityoftheState’sroads(approximately
80%)withtheStateGovernmentowning
approximately20%.However,Stateroadsand
thosecomprisingtheFederalAuslinkNetwork
carrythelargestproportionoftraffic.
Tasmaniaalreadycommitsconsiderable
resourcestosafelymaintainingTasmania’s
roadsandimprovingthesafetyoftheroad
network,througharangeofprograms
including:theSaferRoadsProgram;State
andFederalBlackSpotPrograms;and
maintenanceandtrafficmanagement
programs.
Itisessentialthatthislevelofcommitmentis
maintainedifcontinuingreductionsinserious
roadtraumaaretoberealised.
Partnerships
Thereisalreadystrongcooperationand
coordinationbetweengovernmentand
privateorganisationsworkinginareasrelating
toroadsafety.ThroughtheTasmanian
RoadSafetyCouncil,thepeakroadsafety
policyadvisorybodytotheMinisterfor
Infrastructure,keyroadsafetystakeholders
worktogethertodevelopandpromotebest
practiceroadsafetypolicyandstrategies.
MembershipoftheCouncilincludes:DIER;
TasmaniaPolice;theRACT;theCoroner’s
Office;theLocalGovernmentAssociation
ofTasmania;theTasmaniaMotorcycle
Council;aninterstateroadsafetyexpert
andacommunityrepresentative.TheMotor
AccidentInsuranceBoard(MAIB)isalsoan
importantroadsafetypartnerfundingboth
theRoadSafetyTaskForceandmorerecently,
aStateBlackSpotProgram.
Improvements to the
road environment
potentially offer the
greatest opportunity
to reduce road
trauma.
1� OurSafetyOurFuture
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 1�
Atthelocalcommunitylevel,theCommunityRoad
SafetyPartnershipsProgramhasbeenestablishedbythe
TasmanianGovernmenttodeveloppartnershipswith
localgovernmentauthoritiesandcommunitynetworks
toachieveagreaterfocusonroadsafetyoutcomesata
localcommunitylevel.15localgovernmentcommunities
havenowenlistedintheprogram,andlocalcommunity
involvementisincreasing.
Eachcommunitydevelopsactionplanstotargetlocal
roadsafetyissuesanddevelopstheirownlocallybased
solutions.Initiallyestablishedasapilotprogram,theState
Governmenthassignalledtheongoingimportanceof
communitybasedroadsafetybycontinuingtofundthe
programuntilJune2009.
TheHeavyVehicleSafetyAdvisoryCouncil,inpartnership
withDIER,isaddressingarangeofheavyvehiclesafety
issuesincludingvehiclestability,roadworthinessand
driverrecruitment,trainingandbehaviourthroughthe
developmentofanindustrycodeofpractice.
DIERcontinuestoworkwithcyclinggroupsandlocal
governmenttopromotesafecyclingthroughplanning,
infrastructureprovision,policydevelopmentandeducation.
Publiceducation
Continuedtargetedpubliceducationplaysanimportant
roleinraisingawareness,changingcommunityattitudes,
influencingbehaviourandpreventingcomplacencyabout
familiarroadsafetyissues.
Researchhasshownthatpubliceducationcampaigns
aremostsuccessfulwhencombinedwithtargetedPolice
enforcement.TheMAIBfundedRoadSafetyTaskForce
develops,implementsandmonitorsanintegratedpublic
educationandenforcementprogramaimedatdecreasing
theincidenceandseverityofseriouscasualtieson
Tasmanianroads.
Currentcampaignsaimedatchangingundesirabledriver
behaviourinclude:speed,drink/drugdriving;fatigue;
inattention/distraction;andseatbeltcompliance.These
targetareasareconsistentwithkeyroadsafetyproblem
areasidentifiedinTasmania’scrashdata.
TheDepartmentofInfrastructure,EnergyandResources
inpartnershipwiththeDepartmentofEducation,also
facilitatesschoolbasedroadsafetyeducationforGrade9
and10students.
Ongoingworkintheseareas,includingsupportand
promotionofnewinitiatives,willbecriticalinensuringroad
traumareductiontargetsaremet.
1� OurSafetyOurFuture
9. anewaPProaChFortheFuture
9.1 asharedresPonsiBility
Historicallywehavebeenverysuccessful
inmodifyingdriverbehaviourthrougha
combinationofeducation,legislationand
enforcement(seeFigure3).Driverbehaviour
initiativessuchascompulsorywearingof
seatbelts,randombreathtestingandspeed
enforcementhaveresultedinsignificant
reductionsinroadtraumaoverthepastfew
decades.Howeverevidencesuggeststhat
thesekindsofstrategiesalonewillonlyresult
inverymodestdecreasesinroadtraumain
comingyears.
Researchandbestpracticeofferpersuasive
evidenceastowherethenextsignificantgains
canbemadeinTasmania.Tomoveforward
weneedtorecognisethatroadsafetyisa
sharedresponsibilityandthatweallhavea
parttoplay:
• Asdrivers,weallhavearesponsibilityto
obeytheroadrulestothebestofourabilities.
However,driversarehuman,andhumans
makemistakes,andthehumanbodycan
onlywithstandacertainlevelofforcebefore
sustainingseriousinjuries.
• Roaddesigners,managersandregulators
haveresponsibilitytoprovideasaferoad
environment.Ourroadenvironmentneeds
tobeforgivingoferrorandprotectusfrom
injurywhenmistakesoccur.
• Thevehicleswetravelinshouldassistus
todrivesafelyandnotcontributetoinjuries
ifwecrash.Vehiclemanufacturers,designers
andfleetownershaveacriticalroletoplay.
To move forward we
need to recognise
that road safety is a
shared responsibility
and that we all have
a part to play.
Figure3:distributionofFatalities(1965-2004)withroadsafetyreformsNote: RBT refers to Road Breathalyser Testing for 0.05 BAC.
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
93
104101
118114
118
130
106105111
122
108114
106
93100
112
96
70
8277
92
77 7580
7177
74
58 59 5664
32
4853
43
61
3741
58
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
Fata
litie
s
Prior to LegislationSeat Belt Compulsory (1973)
Seat Belt if Fitted (4/12/1970)RBTs / Exceed 0.05 (23/12/1982)
Exceed 0.08 (11/1/1971)Road Safety Cameras (21/12/1992)
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 1�
9.2 targetedresPonsestoaChieVeMaXiMuMinjuryreduCtions
Therearenumerousmeasuresthatcouldbeimplemented
inTasmaniatoimprovesafetyonourroads.However,
TasmaniaisasmallStatewithlimitedresourcesandthere
isstrongcompetitionforthoseresourcesamongstmany
areasofneed.
Notallbestpracticemeasuresaresuitableorcosteffective
forimplementationinTasmania.Weneedtoidentify
targetedinitiativesthatareevidencebased,achievable
andthatwillbelikelytodeliverthebestpossibleresults
intermsofreducingseriousinjuriesandfatalities.Where
possible,weneedtolookforinitiativesthatwillwork
togethertodeliverhighersafetyreturnsinboththeshort
andlongerterm.Weneedtofocusoureffortsonasmall
numberofinitiativesanddothesewell.
ThisStrategycontainsfourkeyStrategicDirectionsthat
havebeenidentifiedthroughresearchandexpertadvice
astheareasoffocusthatarethemostlikelytotarget
Tasmania’scrashproblemsandreducethelevelofserious
casualtiesonourroads.Theybuildontheexperience
ofglobalroadsafetyleaders,theviewsoftheTasmanian
communityandofroadsafetystakeholders.
Ifmeasurescanbeimplementedthatsupportthese
StrategicDirections,Tasmaniawillbewellplacedtoachieve
significantreductioninserioustraumaonourroads.
Trying to understand
why crashes happen
is fundamental to
determining how we
can prevent them.
10. FourkeystrategiCdireCtions
10.1 saFertraVelsPeeds
Speedisthemostcriticalfactorindetermining
theforcesthehumanbodyisexposedtoin
theeventofacrash.Fastervehiclespeedsat
thetimeofacrashmeanthatthebodymust
absorbmoreenergyonimpact.Vehiclespeed
influencesthelikelihoodofacrashoccurring
andtheseverityofinjuriessustainedina
crash.
Intheeventofacrash,thehumanbodycan
onlywithstandsomuchforcebeforebeing
seriouslyorfatallyinjured.Researchshows
thatpedestrianshaveaonein10chanceof
beingkillediftheyarehitataspeedof
30km/h.Drivershavethesamechance
ofbeingkilledwhentwocarscollideatan
impactspeedof
70km/h.
Speedsjust5km/habovethespeedlimitin
urbanareasand10km/hinruralareasare
sufficienttodoubletheriskofacasualtycrash
occurring.Thisisroughlyequivalenttotherisk
associatedwithdrivingwithabloodalcohol
concentrationof0.053.
Theslowerapersontravels,thelesslikely
theyaretocrash.Travellingmoreslowly
providesapersonwithmoretimetotake
evasiveactiontopreventacrashhappening.
Iftheydocrash,thesloweradrivertravelsthe
lesslikelytheyaretobebadlyinjured.
Speedlimitsprovideadriverwithacueabout
themaximumspeedtheyshouldbetravelling
onaroad.Ensuringvehiclespeedsmatchthe
inherentsafetyoftheroadenvironmentis
anessentialelementofasaferoadsystem.
InSweden,speedlimitsaredeterminedby
thetechnicalstandardsforroadsandvehicles
sothatpeoplearenotexposedtopotential
impactspeedsthatarelikelytokillorseriously
injurethem.InSwedenonlyahighstandard
road,withseparatedtrafficandprotective
barriers,willhaveahighspeedlimit.
Roadsafetyauthoritiesthroughouttheworld
nowrecognisethehugepotentialoflower
vehiclespeedsforachievingverysignificant
injurysavings.Reducingtravelspeedsishighly
cost-effective.Smallreductionsinaverage
vehiclespeedshaveconsistentlybeenshown
toresultinsignificantpercentagereductions
indeathsandinjuries.Tasmaniaexperienced
thesebenefitsfirsthandfollowingthe
introductionofthe50km/hgeneralurban
speedlimit,whereseriouscasualties
decreasedin40,50and60km/hzones.
Likewise,wherespeedlimitshavebeenraised,
deathsandseriousinjurieshaveincreased.
In2005and2006,404seriouscasualties
occurredin100km/hand110km/h
zones(51%ofallseriouscasualties)and
117seriouscasualties(15%ofallserious
casualties)occurredin60km/hzones.
Ifvehiclestravelledaslittleas1km/hslower,
inthesezones,seriouscasualtieswouldbe
reduced.
InVictoriain2001and2002,significant
reductionsininjuriesinurbanareaswere
achievedbyacombinationofincreased
enforcementhours,andlowerspeedcamera
tolerances.Thesechangesweresupported
byapubliceducationcampaign.Thenumber
ofinfringementsrosesharplyinitially,but
declinedasdrivercomplianceimproved.
Measuredvehiclespeedsdeclinedonmany
partsoftheroadnetwork,notjustat
enforcementsites.
Itisalsopossibletodesignroadsthatassist
driverstodriveatalowerspeed.Inthe
Netherlands,localroads‘lookandfeel’very
differenttotrafficcarryingroutes,andhave
manydesignfeaturesthatcueadrivertoslow
downandassistdriverstorecognisewhat
speedlimitappliestotheroad.Thesefeatures
include:roadnarrowing,differentpavement
Priority areas for
action that support
the Strategic
Directions identified
in this Strategy are
outlined in the Action
Plans that support
this document.
1� OurSafetyOurFuture
surfaces;speedhumps;raisedintersections;
androundabouts.
Inordertoachievereductionsinseriouscasualties,
researchandbestpracticesuggestsanumberofoptions
toachievelowervehiclespeeds,including:
• loweringspeedlimits;
• increasingthenumberofspeedcameras;
• modifyinginfrastructuretoforcelowertravelspeeds;
or
• educatingpeopletodrivemoreslowly.
Thebestresultswillbedeliveredthroughacombination
ofmeasures.
PriorityareasforactionthatsupporttheStrategic
DirectionsidentifiedinthisStrategyareoutlinedinthe
ActionPlansthatsupportthisdocument.
10.2 BestPraCtiCeinFrastruCture
Thedesignandinstallationofbestpracticeinfrastructure
ontheroadnetworkplaysakeyroleincreatingasafe
roadenvironment.BothSweden’sVision Zeroandthe
Netherlands’Sustainable Safetyapproachrecognisethat
humanerrorintheroadenvironmentisinevitable,andthat
infrastructureshouldaccommodatethiserrorandminimise
theconsequences.
Appropriateinfrastructurebecomesincreasinglyimportant
onhigh-speedrouteswithhightrafficvolumes.Inthis
situation,largenumbersofroadusersarecontinuously
exposedtotravelspeedsthatfarexceedhuman
biomechanicaltolerances,thereforeincreasingtheriskof
aseriouscrashoccurring.
InTasmania,mostofthecrashesthatleadtoserious
injuriesandfatalitiesarerun-off-roadcrashes,head-on
crashesorcrashesoccurringatintersections.Thereare
numerousproveninfrastructuremeasuresavailableto
targetthesafetyareasthatareapriorityinTasmania.
Researchindicatesthatflexiblebarriersarethebest
performerintargetingrun-off-roadandhead-oncrashes.
AstudybyCorbenandJohnston(2004)foundthat
flexiblebarriersinstalledalongnationalandothermajor
highwaysofVictoriawouldbehighlycost-effective,with
reductioninseriouscasualtycrashesofthetargetcrash
typesofupto90%.4Researchalsoshowsroundaboutsare
highlyeffectiveintargetingintersectioncrashes.Arecent
evaluationofVictoria’sBlackSpotProgramshasfound
statisticallyreliablereductionsinseriouscasualtycrashes
ofaround80-90%whereroundaboutswereinstalled.5
Thesetypesofinfrastructuretreatmentswillprotectall
roadusers,andwillreduceinjuriesregardlessofthecause
ofthecrash.
Abestpracticeapproachtoinfrastructurerecognises
thatwhereitisnotpossibletoinstallinfrastructure
thatpreventsexposuretoimpactspeedsbeyondlevels
tolerabletohumans,thensafespeedlimitsshouldbe
implemented.Forexample,whensafeinfrastructuresuch
asbarriersorlaneseparationcannotbeinstalled,then
vehiclespeedmustbereducedtoensurethatanycrashes
thatdooccurdonotcauseseriousinjury.
Researchandbestpracticeidentifyanumberof
infrastructuremeasuresthatenhancesafetyincluding6:
• separationofopposingvehiclesinhigh-speedsettings
(>70km/hzones),usingflexiblebarriers;
• roadsidebarriers;
• roundaboutsatintersectionsinbothurban
andruralsettings;
• saferroadsideareas;
• highstandardsofdelineation;
• sealedshouldersinruralareas;
• consistentlyhighskidresistanceofroadpavements;and
• comprehensivecoverageofroadsidehazardsusing
crashworthybarriers.
Toprovidevalueformoney,infrastructuretreatmentsneed
tobetargetedtoareaswherethegreatestprotectioncan
beprovidedtothemostdrivers.Anumberoftheabove
optionsmaybeappropriateforuseinTasmania,depending
onissuessuchascrashtype,location,terrainandtraffic
volume.Althoughinfrastructuretreatmentsarerelatively
expensive,theyareveryeffectiveinreducingroadtrauma,
andthebenefitsarelonglasting.
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 1�
PriorityareasforactionthatsupporttheStrategic
DirectionsidentifiedinthisStrategyareoutlinedinthe
ActionPlansthatsupportthisdocument.
10.3 inCreasedsaFetyForyoungroadusers
Youngroadusersaged16-25yearsareheavilyover
representedinTasmaniancrashstatistics.Onaverage,
between1996-2005youngroaduserscomprisedovera
thirdofallseriouscasualties,andwasthelargestgroupof
roaduserseriouscasualtiesinTasmania.
Inmanydevelopedcountriesworldwide,young
driversareamongthemostvulnerableroadusers,
particularlyduringthefirstmonthandalsoduringthefirst
6-12monthsofunsuperviseddriving.Whiletheyrepresent
onlyasmallproportionoflicenseddrivers,young,newly
licenseddrivershaveasubstantiallygreaterriskofcrashing
comparedtodriversfromolderagegroups.
Youngdrivers’over-representationincrashesisusually
attributedtothreefactors:
• inexperience:ittakestimefordrivingskillstobe
masteredandintegrated;
• immaturity:characterisedparticularlybyrisk-taking
andimpulsiveness;and
• increasedriskexposure:includingspeeding,night
drivinganddrink-driving.
Thesafetyofyoungerdriversisoftheutmostconcern
totheTasmaniancommunity.Tasmaniahasalreadytaken
significantstepstotryandprotectyounger,newlylicensed
driversincluding:
• arequirementfor50hoursofsuperviseddriving;
• arequirementthatalearnerlicencebeheldfornoless
thansixmonths;
• theperiodofissueforalearnerlicencebeingextended
fromonetothreeyears;
• newsupervisorydriverrequirements;
• amodernisedelectronicroadlawknowledgetest;
• newpublications,suchastheRoad Rules Handbook;
• anew,higherstandardpracticaldrivingtesttogaina
Provisionallicence;and
• professionallytrainedandaccreditedtestingofficersto
conductthepracticaldrivingtest.
Currentresearchrecommendsthatatleast120hoursof
practiceisnecessarytoimprovethesafetyofnovicedrivers
oncetheyarelicensedtodriveunsupervised(Gregersen,
1997,2001)7.
TheLearnerPeriod(whichissupervisedbyafullyqualified
driver)isthesafestperiodinwhichtogainexperience,as
Learnerdriversworldwidehavethelowestcrashriskof
anydriveragegroup.8
Theriskofdrivingatnightiscommonforalldriversbuthas
beenshowntobemagnifiedforyoungdrivers(Maycock,
2002;Williams,1996).9Youngdriversalsohaveasignificant
riskofcrashingandbeingseriouslyinjuredwhencarrying
peer-passengersandtheriskincreaseswithevery
additionalpeer-passenger.Thereiswidespreadacceptance
thatnight-timedrivingandpeer-passengerrestrictionsare
centralcomponentstoagraduatedlicensingsystemasthey
havebeenassociatedwiththehighestcrashreductionsfor
provisionallicenceholders(Lin&Fearn,2003).10
Basedonresearchandbestpractice,thesafetyof
Tasmania’syoungnewlylicenseddriverscouldbe
significantlyimprovedthroughfurtherstrengtheningofthe
graduatedlicensingsystemthroughmeasuressuchas:
• increasingthenumberofhoursofsuperviseddriving
experienceduringthelearnerphase;and
• introducingnight-timedrivingrestrictions(curfews);and
• peer-passengerrestrictionsduringtheProvisional
licencestage.
Thestrongestsafetybenefitwouldbedemonstratedif
suchmeasureswereintroducedasapackage.
PriorityareasforactionthatsupporttheStrategic
DirectionsidentifiedinthisStrategyareoutlinedinthe
ActionPlansthatsupportthisdocument.
1� OurSafetyOurFuture
10.4 enhanCedVehiClesaFety
Improvingthesafetyfeaturesoflightvehicleshasenormous
potentialtoreduceseriousroadtrauma.Increasingly
sophisticatedsafetyfeaturesincarsoffergreatlyimproved
occupantprotectionintheeventofacrash.Research
estimatesthatifeveryonedrovethesafestcarineach
vehicleclass(small,medium,large)roadtraumainvolving
lightpassengervehiclescouldbereducedby26%.11
Forcarssoldinthelastfewyears,theriskofdeathor
seriousinjuryfordriversinvolvedinatow-awaycrashis
lessthanhalfoftheriskforcarsbuiltintheearly1970s.
Vehiclesafetyfeaturescanbecategorisedaseitherpassive
oractive.Passivesafetyimprovementsaredesignedto
improvethecrashworthinessofthevehicleandreduce
injuriesforoccupantsifacrashoccurs.Passivesafety
improvementsinclude:seatbelts;airbags;crumplezones12;
sideimpactprotection;pedestrianfriendlybonnetdesign;
andseatbeltpre-tensioners.13Activesafetyfeaturesaimto
reducethechanceofacrashoccurring.Examplesinclude
electronicstabilitycontrol(ESC),advancedsuspension
systems,ABSbrakes,tyretechnologyandlowcentreof
gravitydesign.14
‘Intelligenttransportsystems’technologyisalsodeveloping
numerousadvancedsystemsthatcombinecrash
preventionwithpreparingavehicleanditsoccupantsif
acrashisimminent.Awidelyusedexampleisseatbelt
remindersystemsthatalertthedriverifaseatbeltis
notbeingworn.Recentdevelopmentsincludevisibility
assistance,laneguidanceandcollisionwarningsystems.
ThemajorityofnewcarsinAustraliaaresoldasfleet
vehicles.Improvingthesafetyoflight-vehiclefleets
wouldsignificantlyimproveoverallfleetcrashworthiness
andwouldimprovedthesafetyofindividualsduring
work-relatedtravel.Byexercisingtheirpurchasingpower
asconsumers,fleetownerscanencouragevehicle
manufacturerstoincorporatesafetyfeaturesintotheir
newcars.
Inaddition,therearesignificantbenefitsforthebroader
communityasmanyvehiclesoriginallysoldasfleetvehicles
arelaterpassedontootherroadusersthroughthesecond
handcarmarket.Thiswouldbeparticularlybeneficialin
Tasmania,whichcurrentlyhasoneoftheoldestfleetsin
Australia.15
SafetyfeaturesinvehiclesaremanagedattheFederal
levelthroughtheAustralianStandardsandAustralian
DesignRules.Atthislevel,mattersincludingnational
competitionandtradearetakenintoaccount.WhileState
Governmentshavelimitedcapacitytoinfluencevehicle
safetystandardsatthenationallevel,StateGovernment
fleetsafetypoliciesofferopportunitiestoraisethesafety
standardoflocalfleets.
ImprovedvehiclesafetyinTasmaniacanbeachievedby:
• StateandLocalGovernmentsandlargecorporatefleet
ownerscommittingtopurchasethehighestlevelof
safetyfeaturesintheirvehicles;and
• educatingconsumersaboutthebenefitsofvehicle
safetyfeatures.
TheTasmanianGovernmentcanplayaleadershiprole
bycommittingtopurchasethesafestpossiblevehicle.
Asmanyex-TasmanianGovernmentvehiclesaresold
directlytomembersoftheTasmaniancommunity,over
time,therelativesafetyoftheTasmanianvehiclefleet
wouldimprove.Thisinitiativeispotentiallyoneofthe
mostcosteffectivelongertermstrategiestosubstantially
improvevehiclesafetyinTasmania.
PriorityareasforactionthatsupporttheStrategic
DirectionsidentifiedinthisStrategyareoutlinedinthe
ActionPlansthatsupportthisdocument.
TasmanianRoadSafetyStrategy2007-2016 1�
�0 OurSafetyOurFuture
11. aCCountaBility
11.1 howwillthestrategiCdireCtionsBedeliVered?
TheTasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2016
providestheStrategicDirectionstoguide
roadsafetyactivitiesinTasmania.Proposed
roadsafetyinitiativesaredetailedinthe
supportingActionPlans.
actionPlans
ActionPlanswilldetailtargetedinitiatives
undereachStrategicDirectionandother
supportingmeasuresandidentifytheroad
safetybenefiteachinitiativewilldeliver.
ThefirstActionPlanwillcoveraperiodof
threefinancialyears2007-08to2009-10.
AllfollowingActionPlanswillbedevelopedat
leasteverytwoyears.
The Tasmanian
Road Safety Strategy
2007-2016 provides
the Strategic
Directions to guide
road safety activities
in Tasmania.
11.2 MeasuringPerForManCeandrePorting
TheTasmanianRoadSafetyCouncilwill
provideannualreportstotheMinisterfor
Infrastructureoutliningprogresstowards
achievingkeyinitiativesdetailedinthe
ActionPlans.
AstheStrategycoversa10yearperiod,
areviewofprogressagainsttargetswillbe
madeatregularintervals,sothatadjustments
canbemadetoprogramsasnecessary.
TheTasmanianRoadSafetyCouncilwillalso
reportagainstTasmaniaTogethertargetsin
2010and2015.
ActionPlanswillcontainperformance
measuresforeachStrategicDirection.
ThesewillbereportedtotheTasmanianRoad
SafetyCouncil.
endnotes1 http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2004/infomaterials/world_report/en/intro.pdf
2 Adatatranslationissueprevented2005databeinganalysed.
3 NationalRoadSafetyActionPlan2007-2008
4 MUARC2006Development Of Future Directions For Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2011: Stages 1 & 2
5 ibid
6 ibid
7 CitedinMUARC2006Development Of Future Directions For Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2011: Stages 1 & 2
8 ibid
9 ibid
10 ibid
11 NewsteadS,DelaneyA,WatsonLandCameronM,A model for considering the ‘total safety’ of the light passenger vehicle fleet, MUARCReport228,2004.
12 “ACrumpleZonetakestheimpactofacrashby,asthenamesuggests,crumplingwhenacrashoccurs.Bydoingthis,thecrumplezoneprovidesaspacethatisdesignedtotaketheimpactofacrash.Thereasonforthecrumplezoneistoincreasethetimefromwhenthecarhitsanobjecttowhenthecarcomestoacompletestop.Asthistimeincreases,theforceofthecrashisspreadlongerandhencetheimpactoftheforceisminimized.”http://www.caradvice.com.au/291/crumple-zone/
13 AustralianTransportCouncil,2006,Nation Road Safety Action Plan 2007-2008
14 ibid
15 MUARC2006Development Of Future Directions For Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-2011: Stages 1 & 2
12. AppENDIx 1
SuMMARy TABLE
Impact of Strategic Directions on Crash problems
Crash Problem Area
Percentage of Serious Casualties
(1996-2005)
POTENTIAL OF EACH STRATEGIC AREATO ADDRESS CRASH PROBLEM
•••= High, ••= Medium, •= Low
CRASH TYPESafer Vehicle
SpeedsBest Practice Infrastructure
Improved Safety for
Young Road Users
Enhanced Vehicle Safety
Run-off-road crashes 39% ••• ••• •• ••
Intersection crashes 20% ••• ••• •• ••
Head-on crashes 10% ••• ••• •• ••
BEHAVIOURS
Speed 12% ••• ••• •• •••
Inattention 13% ••• ••• •• •••
Failure to wear seatbelts 9% •• •• • ••
Drink Driving 9% •• •• • ••
ROAD USER TYPE
Young road users 19% ••• ••• •• ••
Motorcyclists 15% ••• ••• - ••
Pedestrians 11% ••• ••• • ••
This table demonstrates the relative effectiveness of each Strategic Direction against Tasmania’s
identified Crash Problem Areas.