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Transport and Main Roads
Queensland Speed Management Strategy
2010–2013Safer speeds, safer driving,
for safer communitiesConnecting Queenslandwww.tmr.qld.gov.au
b
Introduction 2
Understanding speed 3
The Queensland context 4
Speed management within the Safe System model of road safety 8
Best practice in speed management informs objectives and initiatives 9
Objective One 10
Objective Two 12
Objective Three 14
Objective Four 16
Objective Five 17
Implementation 19
References 20
Contents
1
Introduction
Speed is a major contributing factor in crashes. In 2010, there were 55 fatalities (or 22.1 percent of the road toll) as a result of crashes involving speeding drivers or riders on Queensland roads. Speed not only determines the likely risk of a crash but also the outcome of the crash or severity.1 Lower speeds result in fewer crashes as road users have more time for decision making, are less likely to lose control and can stop within a shorter distance.2
The Queensland Speed Management Strategy 2010–2013 aims to increase compliance with posted speed limits and to encourage drivers and riders to travel at appropriate speeds for the prevailing conditions, thereby reducing road trauma (specifically reducing the number of speed-related crashes and resultant fatalities and severity of injuries) and promoting safer roads for all Queenslanders and visitors.
Speed management is recognised as a key component of the Safe System3 approach to improving road safety. This comprehensive Speed Management Strategy provides direction for government, the community and industry in their pursuit of speed management for Queensland, based on best practice and new and emerging technologies.
The Strategy is the result of a collaborative effort between the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and the Queensland Police Service (QPS). It has been formulated with reference to a broad array of research and presents a range of initiatives based on best practice evidence from Australia and around the world. Key representatives of the community also provided input and comment, including the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland (CARRS-Q), Royal Automobile Club of Queensland, Local Government Association of Queensland and the Queensland Trucking Association.
1 Global Road Safety Partnership 2008.2 Australian Transport Council 2009.3 Australian Transport Council 2009.
2
Speeding is defined as travelling at a speed above the legal limit for the road and it is also defined as driving too fast for the prevailing conditions including the road, traffic and weather conditions. A publication by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT) states that ‘excessive and inappropriate speed is the number one road safety problem in many countries, often contributing to as much as one third of fatal accidents and an aggravating factor in all accidents’.4
Another significant international report into speed, published by the European Transport Safety Council, evaluated a large quantity of empirical evidence to conclude that ‘the faster the speed, the greater the probability of a crash and the severity of crashes’.5 This relationship is represented by the often-quoted ‘power model’ which demonstrates a five percent increase in average speed leads to around a 10 percent increase in all injury crashes, a 16 percent increase in serious crashes and a 22 percent increase in fatal crashes.6
Low level speeding also has a significant impact on safety outcomes because it is far more pervasive than high level speeding. Studies of driver behaviour estimate that half of all drivers world wide exceed the legal speed limit; changing such behaviour is a massive undertaking as ‘it requires a majority of drivers to adopt a different way of driving’.7 The problem of speed is such that it must be addressed urgently, strongly and with a strategic mix of interventions.
4 OECD/ECMT 2006, p. 13.5 Simcic & Townsend 2008, p. 6.6 Simcic & Townsend 2008; OECD/ECMT 2006.7 Simcic & Townsend 2008 p. 12
Understanding speed
3
The Queensland context
The first Queensland Speed Management Strategy was developed in 1996. That Strategy provided a framework for a number of key initiatives including the introduction of mobile speed cameras and the 50km/h local speed limit throughout Queensland.
The ongoing nature and complexity of the speeding problem in Queensland is evident using a variety of data sources.
Crash data
In Queensland, comprehensive crash data is collected and used to inform road safety applications, including speed management. During 2004 to 2010, around 20 to 25 percent of all fatal crashes were speed-related fatal crashes (see Figure 1, on next page).
Speed data
Australian research8 established the exponential relationship between speed over the limit and crash risk. For example, as Table 1 indicates, on an urban road with a speed limit of 60km/h the risk of being involved in a casualty crash doubles with each 5km/h above the speed limit.
Previously, there was no systematic collection of speed data across a large number of sites on Queensland roads to allow the monitoring of changes in speeding behaviour. An ongoing, biannual speed data collection program involving 135 sites in both rural and urban areas across a range of speed zones, commenced in May 2009.
8 Kloeden, CN et al 1997.
This data provides a comprehensive picture of the extent of speeding on Queensland roads and will be used to inform further policy development, improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and monitor changes in speeding behaviour over time. The analysis of the survey, undertaken by the Centre for Automotive Research (University of Adelaide) indicates between 33 and 48 percent of motorists state-wide are not complying with posted speed limits, dramatically increasing their risk of being involved in a crash (see Figure 2, on next page).
The Queensland Speed Survey indicates that nearly one third of motorists on 60km/h urban roads are up to four times more likely to crash because they are driving up to 10km/h above the speed limit. In addition, more than 10 percent of drivers on 60km/h urban roads are increasing their risk by much more than this as they drive more than 10km/h over the speed limit.
Speed Relative risk
60 km/h 1.00
65 km/h 2.00
70 km/h 4.16
75 km/h 10.60
80 km/h 31.81
85 km/h 56.55
Table 1Speed/risk relationship, 60km/h urban road
4
Figure 1Speed-related fatal crashes as a percentage of all fatal crashes, Queensland 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2010
Perc
enta
ge (%
)
0
10
20
30
40
50
Year2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
20.318
24.9 26.6 25.921.6 22
Figure 2Summary of findings, Queensland Speed Survey, May 2009
Percentage (%)
Spee
d (k
m/h
)
0
66.76 28.78 4.46
70.44 24.86 4.7
60.11 32.43 7.46
64.07 27.23 8.7
51.55 38.74 9.71
56.26 32.11 11.63
56.96 31.4 8.64
20 40 60 80 100
URBAN
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
10km/h or more over limit
10km/h or less over limit
At or below limit
5060
8010
0
Percentage (%)
Spee
d (k
m/h
)
0
66.76 28.78 4.46
70.44 24.86 4.7
60.11 32.43 7.46
64.07 27.23 8.7
51.55 38.74 9.71
56.26 32.11 11.63
56.96 31.4 8.64
20 40 60 80 100
URBAN
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
10km/h or more over limit
10km/h or less over limit
At or below limit
5060
8010
0
5
Figure 3 (below) shows that speed-related fatalities as a proportion of the Queensland road toll have plateaued in the past few years, underscoring the importance of pursuing speed management activities.
Findings of TMR’s second Queensland Speed Survey (data collected in October/November 2009) have been released to the department by the University of Adelaide’s Centre for Automotive Safety Research (see Figure 4, on next page). Together with the findings from the first survey (May 2009, see Figure 2) this data contributes towards a comprehensive picture of the extent of speeding on Queensland roads and are used to inform further policy development, improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and to monitor changes in speeding behaviour over time.
The surveys indicate that between 20 and 50 percent of motorists state-wide are not complying with posted speed limits, dramatically increasing their risk of being involved in a crash.9
9 Independent analysis undertaken at the Centre for Automotive Safety Research confirms that none of the differences between the May and November 2009 surveys are statistically significant (tested using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test).
Attitudinal data
Each year TMR commissions a Road Safety Attitudes Tracking Study from an independent market research company. The most recent survey (April 2010) revealed that:
• 84 percent of drivers agreed that ‘speed is a major contributor to crashes’.
• 78 percent of drivers agreed that ‘it’s time the community took a stand against speeding’.
• 82 percent of motorists agreed that ‘penalties for speeding are genuinely intended to deter people from speeding’.
However, contradictions are evident:
• Only 62 percent of motorists agreed that ‘no matter what I always drive under or at the speed limit’.
• Only 51 percent of motorists agreed that ‘speeding is as dangerous as drink driving’.
• Only 49 percent of motorists agreed that ‘driving any speed over the speed limit constitutes speeding’.
Figure 3Speed-related fatalities as a percentage of all fatalities, Queensland 1 January 1994 to 31 December 2010
Year
Perc
enta
ge (%
)
0
10
20
30
40
50
1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
13.5 12.114.5 16.1
12.2 1418 16.7 16.8 15.2
17.720.6
27.2 26.4 26.822.7 22.1
6
Figure 4Summary of findings, Queensland Speed Survey, November 2009
Percentage (%)
Spee
d (k
m/h
)
0 20 40 60 80 100
URBAN
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
10km/h or more over limit
10km/h or less over limit
At or below limit
5060
8010
0
29.79
19.68
24.95
31.17
37.3
33.91
28.8
6.83
3.08
6.69
11.69
9.76
13.12
10.81
63.38
77.24
68.36
57.14
52.94
52.97
60.39
Percentage (%)
Spee
d (k
m/h
)
0
66.76 28.78 4.46
70.44 24.86 4.7
60.11 32.43 7.46
64.07 27.23 8.7
51.55 38.74 9.71
56.26 32.11 11.63
56.96 31.4 8.64
20 40 60 80 100
URBAN
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
URBAN
RURAL
10km/h or more over limit
10km/h or less over limit
At or below limit
5060
8010
0
Safety performance indicators
The initiatives recommended in this Strategy are ultimately aimed at reducing the number and severity of speed-related crashes by reducing the prevalence of speeding in Queensland. The key safety performance indicators for measuring the success of the Strategy as a package are:
• Mean speeds on the Queensland road network.
• Percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit.
• Percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit by more than 10km/h.
7
Speed management within the Safe System model of road safety
Queensland’s approach to speed management, and road safety more broadly, is consistent with the national commitment to the Safe System framework. According to the National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010, the two fundamental objectives of the framework are:
• making the road transport system more forgiving of human error
• minimising the level of unsafe road user behaviour.
The Safe System framework seeks to prevent crashes in the first instance and minimise injury severity when crashes do occur. This broad approach to road safety improvement emphasises system-wide interventions to address human limitations. The four main aspects are:
A. Safe speeds
B. Safe roads and roadsides
C. Safe vehicles
D. Safe road users and safe behaviours.
Encouraging lower speeds across the road network through well designed and managed speed limits, education and enforcement also relies on complementary improvements to roads, vehicles and road user behaviour. In addition, this approach to road safety necessitates a cooperative effort from a number of government agencies and acceptance by the community that road trauma can be prevented.
The ‘Safer Speeds’ actions required by the National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010 are consistent with the initiatives promoted in this Strategy.
8
The Queensland Speed Management Strategy is based on current best practice in speed management as researched and evaluated in Australia and overseas.
It is widely acknowledged that effective speed management requires investment in three main areas: engineering, education and enforcement. In addition, emphasis is placed on the importance of cross-agency collaboration and ongoing engagement with research and best practice.
These five elements are reflected in the objectives of the Strategy, each of which is accompanied by an explanation of context, research and/or best practice, and specific speed management initiatives to be undertaken over the life of the Strategy. Each initiative is attributed to a responsible agency or agencies – TMR, QPS, and Local Government (LG), and an expected completion date.
Best practice in speed management informs objectives and initiatives
9
Key initiatives:
• Review speed limit guidelines to determine the benefits and impacts of adopting the Safe System approach.
• Reduce speed limits where appropriate to protect vulnerable road users, where a risk has been identified, for example in areas with high pedestrian activity.
The engineering of roads and roadsides can discourage speeding and minimise the number and severity of crashes.
Best practice indicates road environments should provide a range of visual cues for road users, in addition to speed limit signs, which encourage them to drive at safe speeds.
Speed limits should be set and regularly reviewed with reference to the Safe System framework (which takes account of road and vehicle safety and the degree of force that the human body can withstand if a crash occurs), moderated by community expectations of free-flowing traffic. Road users should be constantly aware of speed limits and understand and have confidence in their validity.
Objective One
To provide a road and traffic environment that supports and encourages road users to drive at safe speeds.
Case study
Implement road safety management plans, including speed limit reductions and increased enforcement, on roads with a high frequency of crashes in order to reduce road trauma at such locations.
One of the ‘highest-impact’ Safer Speeds actions in the National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010 was to ‘identify high-risk roads or road sections for speed limit reductions if road improvement is not feasible in the short term’. TMR has responsibility for this action and the safety benefits of reduced speed limits in high crash zones have been demonstrated on a number of Queensland roads. For example, on the Ipswich Motorway a 10km/h speed reduction in 2005 resulted in a 25 percent crash reduction.
The speed limit on the Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Gympie) was dropped to 90km/h in December 2008, as part of a road safety management plan.
Subsequent speed surveys have shown that the measures have been successful in reducing speeds on this road, for example, mean speeds have dropped between 6 to 10km/h.
Speed limit reductions have also been applied on the Bruce Highway in the Sunshine Coast region, the Captain Cook Highway and the Kuranda Range.
Such an approach is consistent with international research. The World Health Organisation report, Speed management: a road safety manual for decision makers and practitioners (2008) demonstrates how small reductions in average speeds can have a significant impact on crash rates. A 2km/h reduction in speed, at 60km/h results in 6.6 percent reduction in all injury crashes, a 9.7 percent reduction in fatal and serious crashes and a 12.7 percent reduction in fatal crashes. At 100km/h, a 2km/h reduction in speed results in a 4 percent reduction in all injury crashes, a 5.9 percent reduction in fatal and serious crashes and a 7.8 percent reduction in fatal crashes.
10
SHORT TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Completion dateInstall ‘Check Your Speed’ signs at selected locations to remind motorists of the speed limit and the need to monitor their speed.
TMR 2010
Review speed limit guidelines to determine the benefits and impacts of adopting the Safe System approach.
TMR 2011
Install signs at locations with a high frequency of crashes which actively warn drivers and riders when they are travelling at unsafe speeds for the conditions.
TMR 2011
Include new guidelines for speed limit reductions on approach to intersections with a high crash risk in the revision of speed limit guidelines, and implement speed limit reductions at intersections with high crash risk based on new speed limit guidelines.
TMR 2011
LONGER TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Completion dateEnsure speed limit signage policy is based on best practice principles in terms of frequency, placement and type of speed limit signs, to maximise motorists’ awareness of speed limits.
TMR 2012
Undertake speed limit review to ensure compliance with guidelines in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
TMR 2012
ONGOING INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agencyImplement road safety management plans, including speed limit reductions and increased enforcement, on roads with a high frequency of crashes in order to reduce road trauma at such locations.
TMR
Ensure new road infrastructure includes safe facilities for speed enforcement and the provision of such facilities is also considered for existing road sections with a high frequency of crashes.
TMR QPS
Reduce speed limits where appropriate to protect vulnerable road users, where a risk has been identified, for example in areas with high pedestrian activity.
TMR LG
Implement variable speed limits on selected high traffic motorways to better manage driver speeds for the prevailing conditions.
TMR
New technology provides opportunities to further improve road environments and road users’ awareness of speed limits. For example, variable speed limit signs facilitate mandatory speed reductions in the case of traffic incidents or bad weather, whereas previously only some drivers and riders would perceive the need to adjust their speeds to suit these situations.
While new roads can be built in accordance with the latest research and development, such as the Safe System framework, Queensland has a large network of existing roads which is subject to a program of road safety improvement. The Safer Roads Sooner program continues to focus on road safety, targeting high crash locations and undertaking road and roadside engineering interventions and speed limit reviews.
11
Key initiative:
• Develop and implement anti-speed campaigns involving a range of different mediums and considering regional variations if appropriate.
Many motorists regularly engage in the anti-social behaviour of speeding, either deliberately or inadvertently. Some make choices based on an ill-informed view that the risk and results of crashing or being detected are negligible. A rise in the attitude that exceeding the speed limit by a small amount is acceptable and safe is particularly evident.
If behaviour is to change it is critical that the entire community understand the importance of safe driving and the consequences of speeding.
Public education campaigns aim to provide information to influence motorists to modify their behaviour and social norms. Such campaigns seek to change behaviour and remind motorists of their responsibilities by putting key road safety issues on the public agenda. These campaigns also provide information about why speed is enforced in the way it is and the benefits that can be achieved by reducing speeds on Queensland roads.
Public communication and education campaigns are developed on the basis of research and evaluation. As a result they are constantly changing, both in terms of their message and medium, as government attempts to optimise the delivery of this information.
Objective Two
To establish a culture which rejects speeding through effective public communication and education.
Case study
Develop and implement anti-speed campaigns involving a range of different mediums and considering regional variations if appropriate.
Road safety campaigns are selected in response to the road toll. The focus of campaigns is determined after considering where the biggest returns are likely to be made, which is why speed is a current focus.
TMR’s public education campaigns aim to put key road safety issues, such as speeding, on the public agenda. Research results, together with other qualitative and quantitative data, are used to develop these campaigns.
Road safety research shows that public education campaigns, complemented by enforcement, have strong potential to result in behavioural change which is why campaigns are planned in cooperation with the QPS and recognise that behavioural change can only be sustained with the combination of public education, enforcement and engineering improvements.
TMR regularly monitors campaign performance through market research tracking studies which show that campaign awareness and key message recall continues to grow, along with improvements to attitudes and self-reported behaviour, over time.
12
SHORT TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency
Support agency
Completion date
Develop and implement anti-speed campaigns involving a range of different mediums and considering regional variations if appropriate.
TMR QPS 2010
Develop summary reports of key speed-related data for public access.
TMR 2011
Incorporate the impacts of speeding into road safety education in schools.
TMR QPS 2011
LONGER TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency
Support agency
Completion date
Improve the community’s understanding of the rationale for speed management and the integrity of Queensland’s approach, including the selection of camera sites.
TMR QPS 2011
Create resources to be used by other agencies and road safety groups to promote consistent messages regarding speeding.
TMR 2011
ONGOING INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agencyMaintain a proactive education campaign to inform the community about the negative consequences of speeding both for themselves, other road users, the environment and the community.
TMR QPS
Monitor the effectiveness of the code of conduct governing advertising by car manufacturers.
TMR
Evaluate the effectiveness of anti-speed campaigns with respect to target market/s and key messages.
TMR
Case study
Improve the community’s understanding of the rationale for speed management and the integrity of Queensland’s approach, including the selection of camera sites.
It is frequently reported by police officers investigating crashes that inappropriate speeds render a driver incapable of dealing with the unexpected, regardless of their reaction times or physical driving skills: there is no such thing as ‘safe’ speeding. Driving above the set speed limit is dangerous and against the law. For this reason the government has introduced a number of speed management initiatives aimed at improving road safety and combating speed on our roads. These initiatives include a strategic combination of public education, engineering and enforcement.
An important component of Queensland’s general deterrence approach is the camera detected offence program. Motorists should expect to see mobile speed cameras ‘anywhere, anytime’, while fixed cameras target known black spots. As such, motorists should always travel within the speed limit.
The selection of speed camera locations is based on strict criteria, the primary criterion being crash history. Regionally-based committees regularly review existing mobile speed camera sites and also assess the potential of new sites for inclusion in the program. The operation of speed cameras is not aimed at raising government revenue, but rather reducing crash-related injury and death.
In Queensland it is a legislative requirement that money collected from camera detected offences only be spent on the administration of the camera program and road safety initiatives.
13
Key initiatives:
• Introduce digital speed enforcement cameras including point-to-point camera detection technology which measures speeds at multiple points to target speeding on sections of road and combination red light/speed cameras to reduce crashes at signalised intersections.
• Investigate the impact on the road toll and benefits of increased enforcement.
In spite of engineering and education activities aimed at controlling driving speeds, some road users continue to behave inappropriately and enforcement is required.
Enforcement with a high degree of unpredictability and visibility which consistently results in timely punishment reduces speeding through both general and specific deterrence. Covert mobile cameras that operate from vehicles of various makes and models were introduced in Queensland in April 2010. The cameras will operate for up to 30 per cent of mobile speed camera hours.
Site selection for Queensland’s camera detected offence program is designed to target locations with a documented history of speed-related crashes. Sites are reviewed to ensure that deployment continues to reduce the number and severity of crashes, also taking account of the variety of camera technology available. New technology such as digital camera technology including combined red-light/speed cameras will enhance the current camera detected offence program.
Objective Three
To promote safe speeds amongst road users using effective enforcement based on high quality data.
Case study
Introduce digital speed enforcement cameras including point-to-point camera detection technology which measures speeds at multiple points to target speeding on sections of road.
Point-to-point or average speed enforcement is the use of cameras to measure an individual vehicle’s speed along a length of road. Cameras record when a vehicle enters a length of road that is controlled and again when it exits. A computer then calculates the average speed of the vehicle, determines if that speed was above that of the posted speed limit, and if so, an infringement notice is issued.
Point-to-point enforcement has been successfully used in Victoria and in many countries around the world. Evaluations of point-to-point enforcement have shown not only decreases in the number and severity of speed-related crashes but also a reduction in the average speed of all vehicles along the road length subject to enforcement.
14
SHORT TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agency
Completion date
Support the QPS Integrated Traffic Analysis System (I-TAS) project by supplying comprehensive data including the characteristics of speed-related crashes such as the times of the day when the frequency of crashes is greater.
TMR QPS 2011
Implement an infringement processing system to support the performance of digital camera technology.
QPS TMR 2011
Introduce digital speed enforcement cameras including point-to-point camera detection technology which measures speeds at multiple points to target speeding on sections of road and combination red light/speed cameras to reduce crashes at signalised intersections.
QPS TMR 2011
Investigate the impact on the road toll and benefits of increased enforcement.
TMR QPS 2011
Introduce covert operation for up to 30 per cent of mobile speed camera hours.
QPS TMR 2010
Evaluate the effects of reducing speed detection tolerances (that is, the difference between the speed limit and the speed at which a vehicle will be detected as speeding by an enforcement device) and adopt this reduction if there is likely to be a positive change in driver behaviour following the reduction.
TMR QPS 2012
LONGER TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agency
Completion date
Enhance the unpredictability of speed enforcement through constant innovation, for example, varying deployment locations and times, technologies and enforcement vehicle types.
QPS TMR 2011
ONGOING INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agencyProvide a police presence on Queensland roads, targeting those locations with a high frequency of crashes (or potential for crashes), in order to deter a range of traffic offences.
QPS
Continue to review the suitability of existing mobile speed camera sites in light of the most recent crash data and any environmental changes.
TMR QPS
Review speed camera site selection guidelines to ensure optimal performance of various enforcement technologies across the road network.
TMR QPS
15
Key initiative:
• Influence and participate in the national transport and road safety agendas, including the National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 to promote nation-wide consistency in speed management.
As research has established, speed management requires a multi-disciplinary approach and as such, an inter-departmental approach. Collaboration is also required with the community, road safety researchers and the motor vehicle industry. Many of the initiatives set out in this Strategy require a number of government agencies to cooperate in order to ensure successful implementation.
Objective Four
To develop and maintain collaborative partnerships to achieve speed reduction on Queensland roads.
SHORT TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency
Support agency
Completion date
Review the role and function of local speed management committees in setting speed limits to ensure consistency and best practice.
TMR LG 2012
Amended the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 to adopt the national model law in relation to heavy vehicle speeding compliance which compels all persons who have influence or control over aspects of the transport task to take positive steps to prevent breaches of speed limits.
TMR 2010
ONGOING INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agencyInfluence and participate in the national transport and road safety agendas, including the National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 to promote nation-wide consistency in speed management.
TMR & QPS
Engage with local government via the TMR regional road safety managers to enhance the collaborative approach to speed management in Queensland.
TMR QPS
In addition, Queensland will continue to actively participate in national and international road safety forums and committees in order to gather and share best practice.
16
Key initiatives:
• Enhance and maintain speed data collection across the Queensland road network.
• Facilitate regular evaluation of Queensland’s speed management policies and practices.
There is a significant amount of quality research being conducted into speed management practice in Australia and overseas. Queensland needs to ensure that it continues to be informed and considers this research within the context of the characteristics of Queensland roads and road users.
Queensland speed management policies and programs are regularly evaluated, usually by independent researchers. It is vital to continue to monitor its performance, and that of other jurisdictions, and to adopt new initiatives to improve approaches to speed management. Detailed data collection about driver and rider behaviour, such as speeds on the network, attitudes to speed and speed infringement trends, must continue to be collected and analysed to inform speed management policy.
To engage in research and best practice in speed management
Objective Five
Case study
Facilitate regular evaluation of speed management policies and practices
Since its introduction in 1997, the Queensland speed camera program has been regularly evaluated by the Monash University Accident Research Centre (MUARC). The most recent evaluation of Queensland’s speed camera program found that, in 2007, speed cameras prevented an estimated 2863 serious casualty crashes (within a 2 kilometre radius of the centre of a speed camera zone) which equates to a saving of $1.69 billion in total social cost. These reports are available on-line and are noted in the TMR annual report.
Other recent assessments include MUARC’s evaluations of the 50km/h speed limits in South East Queensland (2002) and regional Queensland (2005). Recommendations from each of these evaluations are used in the ongoing development and improvement of speed management policies and practices for Queensland.
17
SHORT TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agency
Completion date
Consider recommendation in the CARRS-Q Rural and Remote Road Safety Research Program to reduce speed limits in rural and remote areas.
TMR 2011
Review the best application of speed management in school zones, particularly those with a higher risk environment such as split campuses including a trial of the use of school zones on multi-lane roads.
TMR QPS 2011
Investigate methods to improve the identification of motorcycles for speed enforcement purposes.
TMR 2010
LONGER TERM INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agency
Completion date
Investigate the suitability of vehicle impoundment for high-level/repeat speed offences.
QPS TMR 2011
Review the current scheduling method for the deployment of mobile speed cameras with a view to maximising the general deterrence of speeding.
TMR QPS 2011
Investigate the likely effects of informing the public about the location of speed cameras, especially any impact on the unpredictability of the program.
TMR QPS 2011
ONGOING INITIATIVES Lead agency Support agencyEnhance and maintain speed data collection across the Queensland road network to inform further policy development, improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns and monitor changes in speeding behaviour over time.
TMR LG
Continue to collect and monitor relevant community attitudes to speeding and motorist behaviour.
TMR
Monitor interstate and international speed management research and practice.
TMR & QPS
Facilitate regular evaluation of Queensland’s speed management policies and practices.
TMR
Monitor in-vehicle technology advances, such as Intelligent Speed Adaptation, which have the potential to directly influence vehicle speeds and may have a behaviour modification application for recidivist speed offenders.
TMR
18
Implementation
The implementation of the initiatives will be coordinated by the Speed Management Team within Road Safety Policy, Road Safety and System Management Division, TMR.
Each initiative is attributed to a lead agency and an expected date for completion has been identified. Each agency will be required to monitor and report on the progress of the initiatives within their respective agency in addition to reporting to an inter-agency group.
The inter-agency group will meet to monitor the progress of the initiatives from the Strategy. It is proposed that this group will report progress and escalate unresolved issues to the Executive Management Committee (EMC). The EMC has representatives from TMR and QPS at the General Manager, Deputy-Director General and Deputy Commissioner level respectively.
19
1. Australian Transport Council, 2009, National Road Safety Action Plan 2009 and 2010, Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Canberra.
2. Global Road Safety Partnership, 2008, Speed Management: a Road Safety Manual for Decision-makers and Practitioners, Global Road Safety Partnership, Geneva.
3. Kloeden, C, McLean, A, Moore, V and Ponte, G, 1997, Travelling Speed and the Risk of Crash Involvement, NHMRC Road Accident Research Unit, The University of Adelaide.
4. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), 2006, Speed Management, Transport Research Centre/OECD Publishing, Paris.
5. Sheehan, M, Siskind, V, Turner, R, Veitch, C, O’Connor, T, Steinhardt, D, Blackman, R, Edmonston, C, and Sticher, G, 2008, Rural and Remote Road Safety Project – Final Report, CARRS-Q Monograph 4, QUT, Brisbane.
6. Simcic, G, and Townsend, E, 2008, Managing Speed: Towards Safe and Sustainable Road Transport, European Transport Safety Council, Brussels.
References
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