our safety, our future - transport services

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.


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.





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.


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.


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).


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.


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


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.


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)


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.


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.





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.





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.





�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.

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

our safety, our future - transport services

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