Our policy on an independent review of Road Safety

January, 2007

With an increase in both speeding fines and the number of speed cameras in WA and the reduction of speed limits, the death toll is on the increase and one of the worst for years.

Overseas research which thoroughly investigated the real cause of thousands of road accidents and fatalities established the following were the main causes:-

1. Driver inattention,
2. Driver misjudgment and
3. Driver inexperience.

The investigations determined that statistics based on Police reports which showed speeding was the main cause of accidents and fatalities, were flawed.

We believe that a thorough review of road safety in WA with new strategies needs to be developed and implemented. We support an independent review of Road Safety and a bipartisan committee to oversee road safety in the future.

REFERENCES

AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (2001). The Role of Driver Distraction in Traffic Crashes [On-line].
Available: http://www.aaafoundation.org/projects/index.cfm?button=distraction

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (2006). The Impact of Driver Inattention or Near Crash / Crash Risk [Online]. Available: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov

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