RACS welcomes new draft road safety strategy

Every year, around 1200 people are killed on Australia’s roads, and almost 40,000 are seriously injured. That is the equivalent of the population of a medium-sized country town, seriously injured. This does not even take into consideration the countless other lives shattered in the process.

As we enter a new decade, we must draw a line and recalibrate.

In February, the Australian Government released its draft National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The draft strategy outlined a series of targets to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, setting us on the path to achieve Vision Zero (zero deaths and serious injuries) by 2050.

The draft strategy has three key themes: Safe Roads, Safe Vehicles and Safe Road Use.

Safe speeds, which was considered as a fourth theme in the previous strategy, has been highlighted as an overarching message and is integrated into all of the other areas.

In response, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) commended the extensive consultation that has occurred in developing the draft strategy. The College is satisfied that the vast majority of our recommendations, made in prior consultations, have been considered and implemented.

Our response is available on the RACS website by searching for ‘2020-2031 Road Safety Strategy’ and highlights a number of initiatives that the College is supportive of. One of these is the central role that the Government’s Office of Road Safety will play in the strategy.

The establishment of this office was a key recommendation of the 2018 Inquiry into the effectiveness of the previous road safety strategy, and it will play an important role in providing national oversight of and ensuring ongoing accountability in the new strategy.

While RACS welcomes the draft strategy, it is important to reiterate that the hard work has yet to begin. Australia failed to meet the conservative targets identified in the National Road Safety Strategy 2011- 2020. We cannot allow this to happen again.

It is therefore imperative that the Government remains committed to delivering the objectives of the new strategy throughout its tenure. This includes updating the strategy when necessary and dedicating the appropriate resources to allow this to happen.

RACS recognises that it is incumbent upon us all to work towards these objectives, and we remain committed, throughout the duration of the strategy, to advocating for and supporting sensible policies that aim to eliminate death and serious injury on our roads.