Page 1438 - Week 05 - Thursday, 13 May 2021

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While we have made progress in this area, including the opening of the ACT’s first specialist dementia care unit, I will be seeking to strengthen this aspect of the plan. As agreed, I will be providing further updates in relation to how the age-friendly city plan is supporting Canberra to develop as a dementia-friendly city as the plan progresses.

I am proud to see the commitment of collaborative efforts to support older Canberrans. Together, each of us can contribute to the ongoing development of Canberra as a city that values the contributions, involvement and needs of older Canberrans. I present the following paper:

Age-Friendly City Plan—Statement of Progress—Ministerial statement, May 2021.

I move:

That the Assembly take note of the paper.

Question resolved in the affirmative.

Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Amendment Bill 2021

Mr Steel, pursuant to notice, presented the bill, its explanatory statement and a Human Rights Act compatibility statement.

Title read by Clerk.

MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Skills, Minister for Transport and City Services and Special Minister of State) (11.13): I move:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

I am pleased to introduce the Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Amendment Bill 2021 into the Assembly today. The purpose of this bill is to amend the road transport legislation to allow for the use of mobile device detection cameras on ACT roads. Advances in mobile device technology have improved our lives in many ways. Mobile phones, in particular, have become an essential part of our daily lives and we benefit in many ways from the connectivity that they create. That does not mean that the impact of these devices is all positive. Evidence the world over shows that distraction caused by mobile phones is increasingly a factor in road accidents.

Driver distraction is a serious road safety issue. Any activity that distracts a driver can result in higher speeds, lane deviations and a delay in reaction time. All of these lead to more crashes. The risks of mobile device use while driving are significant and undeniable. Research shows that drivers who look at their mobile phones while driving are three times more likely to be involved in a crash than non-users. For those who text or browse the internet, the risk of crashing increases by a factor of 10.


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