Page 3850 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2013
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In addition to enforcement mechanisms such as these new speed limits the government has also launched a new road safety awareness campaign on driver distraction. The “don’t let the team down” campaign which we launched in August this year is designed to engage the community in understanding the need for drivers to remain focused on the driving task at hand and not to risk being distracted by using their mobile phone.
The Justice and Community Safety Directorate and ACT Policing are already considering concepts for new campaigns on speeding, sharing the road and tailgating, and I expect these will be developed and ready to launch in 2013-14.
“Sharing the road” is an important component of this work and one which always ignites the discussion on talkback radio and the like around the need to share the road among motorists, cyclists and pedestrians. It has always been the way, as I recall it in my time in politics, and whilst it is changing slightly it still seems to be quite a vexed issue for the community.
Clearly, enforcement remains a high priority—for some it is the only effective response. ACT Policing are working closely with the government to target bad behaviour by motorists. We have provided $5.1 million over four years as part of the 2013-14 budget.
The funding will provide ACT Policing with an additional eight officers and four extra vehicles specially fitted with RAPID vehicle recognition camera technology. We are also targeting drink-driving and driving under the influence of other drugs.
Earlier this year a bill to establish an ACT interlock scheme was passed by the Legislative Assembly. The interlock scheme will commence next year. It will be mandatory for all drivers convicted of having a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher and for repeat drink-driving offenders.
Vehicle safety is another component of the government’s strategy, and an area where improvements are helping to lower the road toll. In 2012 the ORS completed 73,989 on-road vehicle inspections and issued 2,857 defects for faults such as headlights, tyres and inadequate ground clearance.
In July this year JACS became a member of the Australasian new car assessment program, which provides consumers with information on vehicle safety through its safety rating program and will support the sharing of information about the benefits of safer vehicles with ACT motorists.
We are aware that concerns have been raised about particular issues around the safety of certain roads. Our record in road investment is strong. Mr Rattenbury spoke yesterday about the importance of an evidence-based, apolitical approach to prioritising upgrades at specific locations. I think that apolitical approach lasted until the last Assembly, when we had all agreed that a system Mr Smyth had brought in as Minister for Urban Services around the assessment criteria for upgrades and a traffic safety rating—almost an audit tool—had been universally agreed as the right
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