Grant Dorrington to head new Road Safety Council

28/2/97

The chairperson of the new Road Safety Council set up to co-ordinate the development of policies and strategies to improve road safety in Western Australia was announced today.

Transport Minister Eric Charlton said Grant Dorrington, general manager of the West Australian Football League, had been appointed independent chairperson of the nine-member council for a three-year term.

"A former school teacher, Grant has been actively engaged in coaching, planning, marketing and promoting sport in WA and is an excellent communicator with extensive community and media involvement," Mr Charlton said.

"Grant has demonstrated a strong commitment to improving WA's road safety record and reducing the unjustifiably high level of road trauma in this State by introducing and running road safety programs into schools when he was in the Education Department.

"One of the main goals of the Government is to make WA the leading road safety State in Australia. Grant has the leadership and team skills to influence the key stakeholders in road safety and achieve that goal."

The Road Safety Council (which replaces the Traffic Board of WA) will identify appropriate and effective measures to improve road safety and reduce deaths, injuries and property damage.

The council will propose actions to be taken to implement and co-ordinate specific measures by road safety bodies and evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of the programs and strategies.

Members of the Road Safety Council will be chosen from the main organisations and agencies in WA involved in road safety, including the Department of Transport's Office of Road Safety, WA Police Service, Health and Education Departments, local government (WA Municipal Association), Main Roads WA, State Insurance Commission and a road user representative.

The inaugural meeting of the Road Safety Council to formalise the road safety program for 1997-98 will be held early next month.

Media contact: Sally Squires 321 7333