Road safety action plan to save lives on Queensland roads

Minister for Road Safety Mark Bailey today released the Palaszczuk Government’s new Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan, a road map to improve safety, reduce injury and curb the state’s road toll.

The strategy sets a long-term target to reduce the road toll from the four-year average (2011-14) by more than a quarter to below 200 by 2020 and reduce the number of hospitalisations from road accidents.

The Action Plan includes 57 initiatives, and builds on the work of the Queensland Government’s Safer Roads, Safer Queensland Forum.

“The Palaszczuk Government’s action plan targets Queensland’s road toll and aims to drastically reduce the number of crash deaths and serious injuries on the state’s roads,” Mr Bailey said.

“The plan is the culmination of discussions and solutions put forward by the experts at the Safer Roads, Safer Queensland forum held in April this year.

“The Palaszczuk Government is investing more than $500 million over two years for important road safety programs to fund the implementation of the 57 initiatives in the action plan.”

Key initiatives in the 2015-17 Action Plan include:

• Establish a Citizen’s Taskforce to make recommendations to government about road safety issues.
• Implement “CO-LAB”; a program to engage 16 – 21 year olds on road safety.
• Reforming motorcycle licensing including implementing pre-learner training courses.
• Introduce an app version of the 100-hour learner logbook, including periodic reminders for learners to focus on certain driving situations such as night time, wet weather and highway driving.
• Install flashing lights in 200 risk-assessed school zones.
• Introduce double demerit points for two or more mobile phone offences committed within one year.
• Advocate at the national level for the roll out of seatbelt interlock technology that would prevent the engine starting before the passenger clicks in their seat belt.
• Improve safety for vulnerable road users by making available $10 million to improve infrastructure safety for bicycle riders and pedestrian and $27 million over two years for the Cycle Network Local Government Grants Program.

The Safer Roads, Safer Queensland Forum meeting today at Queensland Parliament House will also consider the introduction of double demerits for drivers caught speeding in school zones.

To view the new Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan visit http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Road-safety/Strategy-and-action-plans.aspx

Media contact: Alex Chamberlain 0406 544 142