- $80 million road safety investment to crack
down on dangerous driving to build safe communities
- More than one hundred additional new cameras
including fixed point to point and safety camera trailers
- Review to provide more flexible options,
including caution notices, to reward low risk drivers and crack down on high-risk
dangerous drivers.
The Cook Government
will invest $80 million in road safety reforms to crack down on dangerous
drivers, while protecting the majority of drivers who are trying to do the
right thing.
As part of the
funding package, $2.5 million will be allocated to support a review of
penalties and flexible infringement polices that will identify how good drivers
can be rewarded including caution notices for those who try to do the right
thing, and tougher penalties for bad drivers to ensure safety on Western
Australian roads.
The Cook Government
will invest another $20 million to expand the safety camera program including
six new safety camera trailers, four pairs of fixed point to point cameras, 32
near miss cameras and 100 smiley face cameras with a focus on school zones.
The package will
also include:
- $27 million for additional
road safety advertising, community education and public awareness campaigns;
- $25 million to
continue the Cook Government's road safety upgrade programs that help to
protect all road users, including the Regional Road Safety Program and the
Safer Roads and Bridges Program; and
- $5 million to
increase capabilities for infringement processing, targeting high harm, high
frequency offenders.
The large expansion of safety camera technology follows a successful
eight-month caution notice period for new mobile phone, seatbelt and speed
detecting cameras.
Dangerous drivers who consistently disobey the law will face more fines
and demerit points with the additional safety cameras on our roads.
Following the behaviour change demonstrated with the recent introduction
of high-tech safety cameras, the Cook Government has committed to a significant
expansion of camera technology including six new safety camera trailers which
can detect mobile phone and seatbelt misuse around the State.
Four new pairs of fixed point-to-point average speed zone cameras will
be located on major roads and highways between metropolitan and regional areas
with Indian Ocean Drive and Great Eastern Highway being investigated as
potential locations for the new cameras.
The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure will also receive
funding for more staff to support the expected increased volume of
infringements.
The community will see a significant boost to education, road safety
advertising and awareness campaigns, and more partnerships with community
organisations to improve safety at a grassroots level.
All the revenue derived from the new safety cameras will go into the
Road Trauma Trust Account to be spent on road safety initiatives.
In the past 10 years, more than $1 billion has been invested from the
Account into making WA roads safer.
Comments attributed to Road Safety Minister
Reece Whitby:
"We want to change the behaviour of bad drivers with tougher penalties
while also recognising drivers with a good history to make Western Australian
roads safer.
"We know that most drivers do the right thing, which is why we're undertaking
review of penalties.
"The research is clear; safety cameras are an effective way of changing
behaviour and lowering risk on our roads.
"The Cook Government is committed to building safe communities and safe
driver behaviours, and already we've seen indications that people are changing
their behaviour, and we want that to continue – but there are still drivers who
ignore the law.
"Drivers who try to do the right thing should not be treated the same as
dangerous drivers and high frequency, repeat offenders."
Comments attributed to Transport Minister
Rita Saffioti:
"This significant investment is part of our government's commitment to
saving lives on WA roads by delivering improvements across our road network.
"We're investing a further $25 million into key road safety upgrade
programs, building on the more than one billion dollars invested through the
Regional Road Safety Program for roadworks including resurfacing, widening and
installing audible edge lines.
"Road improvements play a critical role in reducing the number of
single-vehicle run-off-road crashes, one of the leading causes of death and
serious injury on regional WA roads."
Comments attributed to Minister Assisting
the Minister for Transport Jessica Stojkovski:
"This $80 million investment is about using the best technology, smarter
enforcement and stronger education to save lives.
"From school zones to highways, this is about protecting our communities
by targeting dangerous behaviour on WA roads."
