Tuesday, 1 October 2024
Austroads, the lead of the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP), has joined with its partners – the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) – to pledge support for safer roads for all users by 2030.
As mechanisms to drive better safety outcomes, the use of AusRAP and other risk-based assessment tools, as well as road safety audits, contribute to achieving national as well as specific state or territory fatality and serious injury reduction goals.
The pledge reinforces AusRAP’s commitment to maximising road safety trauma reduction. It aligns with the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30, which aims to halve road deaths and reduce serious injuries by at least 30% by 2030. Furthermore, it supports the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
“Every week in Australia 25 people die and 770 are seriously injured. This level of trauma is unacceptable. Safer roads will play a significant role in reducing this amount of harm in our communities and that is why we commit to the use of AusRAP and other risk-based assessment tools to achieve the national target that at least 80% of travel occurs on roads with a 3-star rating or higher by 2030,” said Geoff Allan, Austroads Chief Executive.
AusRAP and other risk-based assessments, as well as road safety audits, play a crucial role in achieving road safety targets. They provide road authorities with the tools to systematically and proactively evaluate road safety, enabling the development and prioritisation of treatment plans that will enhance safety for all road users.
“Our pledge today supports the transformation of Australian road safety. With just five years remaining to halve the number of deaths on our roads and meet the targets set in the National Road Safety Strategy, the urgency for action is greater than ever,” said Geoff.
The #SaferRoadPledge is a global initiative by iRAP, the International Road Federation and the FIA Foundation calling on organisations involved in designing and financing roads to pledge their commitment for safer roads. The AusRAP pledge, along with many others from around the world, will be presented to the world’s road safety leaders in February 2025, at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morocco.
Attributable quotes
Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), Dr Ingrid Johnston, Chief Executive Officer: No one should be killed or seriously injured on our roads. Our pledge today is a commitment of support for the roads carrying more than 80% of travel to be 3 star or better rated for all road users by 2030. Improving road safety does not always need to rely on massive capital investment and lengthy road projects. We know reducing speeds will save lives and this can be applied overnight. There is no time to lose.
International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Rob McInerney, Chief Executive Officer: Globally, more than 3,200 people are killed on the roads every day. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5-29 around the world. Today’s pledge in support of the Australian National Road Safety Strategy is also a statement of support for the Global Plan for the Decade of Action on Road Safety 2021-30. We know road infrastructure rated 3 stars or better for safety saves lives and prevents injuries. We have only 5 years left in this decade of action to make a difference, to halve the number of deaths and injuries on our roads.
National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), Jeff Doyle, Executive Director Roads and Road Safety: Safety of our roads is critical to reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured each year. Road trauma leaves lasting physical and psychological impacts that undermine the health of our society and our economy. We stand for safer roads that will enable more sustainable mobility for all road users and we commit our support to the objectives of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30.
Pledge for Safer Roads
In support of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 (NRSS), which aims to halve road deaths and decrease serious injuries by 30% by 2030, and the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030:
- We stand for safer roads for all road users that enable more sustainable mobility and commit our support for achieving the road safety objectives of the NRSS, which reflects and exceeds the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and 12 UN Global Road Safety Performance Targets.
- In support of the NRSS, we encourage the use of Star Rating Assessments as tools for new and upgraded road designs, to aim for at least three-stars or better rating for all road users by 2030.
- In support of the NRSS, we encourage the use of crash-risk mapping and proactive safety risk assessments that promote investment in safer infrastructure and the application of safer speeds and support the target for roads carrying more than 80% of travel to meet at least three-stars or better rating for all road users by 2030.
Austroads members are the Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, representing all levels of government:
- Transport for New South Wales
- Department of Transport and Planning Victoria
- Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads
- Main Roads Western Australia
- Department for Infrastructure and Transport South Australia
- Department of State Growth Tasmania
- Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics Northern Territory
- Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate, Australian Capital Territory
- Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
- Australian Local Government Association
- NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi
Additional information
Globally, road crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people and cause an estimated 50 million injuries each year, making road crashes the biggest killer of children and young people aged 5 to 29 years1 worldwide.
Each year, around 1,200 people are killed and almost 40,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads.
1Global status report on road safety 2023 (who.int)
In the photo (L to R): Dr Geoff Allan, Judy Williams (iRAP), Dr Ingrid Johnston (ACRS), Emily McLean (NTRO), at the 2024 Australasian Road Safety Conference in Hobart, Tasmania.