Page 3857 - Week 12 - Thursday, 24 October 2013
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seat belt wearing is just an automatic thing when you jump into the car, but I do remember a day before seat belts were not mandatory, and it was tough. It was tough to try and convince people that this was a strong safety measure and they should wear their seat belts.
This period also saw the introduction of demerit point schemes in the early 1990s and, more recently, the near saturation of five-star ANCAP safety rated vehicles in Australia’s new fleet of vehicles. Continuing to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads will require strong leadership, good policy and sustained efforts. These are all qualities of this government.
Intelligent transport systems is an emerging technology that has the potential to contribute to a vision zero future. ITS includes in-vehicle systems such as electronic stability control, lane detection, adaptive cruise control and intelligent speed assist. It also includes the promising vehicle-to-vehicle technologies that provide warnings about intersection arrival, collision avoidance systems and emergency notification systems. In addition to all of this, there is the vehicle-to-infrastructure system which provides traveller information services—that is, real-time navigation, car parking and fuel availability—traffic signal and variable speed control, tolling and freight management systems. ITS has the potential to deliver safer, more effective and environmentally sustainable transport solutions. The government will consider the opportunities that emerge from the evolving technology.
The Chief Minister mentioned a number of the government’s recent achievements in road safety. Others that I would like to mention relate to our vulnerable road users—cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians—which is a subject of the current TAMS committee inquiry. Vulnerable road users are highly implicated in injury crashes and represent over a third of total casualties in the ACT. This requires specific actions, and the government is continuing to deliver programs in this area.
The Civic cycle loop is an example of an infrastructure program and supports improving the safety of travel on footpaths and roads in the city area. The first two stages of the city cycle loop have been opened to the public in Marcus Clarke Street and Rudd Street. For most of the length of the cycleway, a wide cycle path at footpath grade has been provided, which offers segregation and increased protection from vehicular traffic as compared to on-road cycling. To increase visibility and safety, cycle lanes across driveways and intersections are at road level with green line marking.
In response to the increasing number of motorcyclists on our roads, the government completed a review of ACT motorcycle licensing and training requirements in 2011. Legislation making pre-provisional training compulsory for novice motorcyclists came into effect in July 2012. This was an important reform, particularly given that this group faces a fatal crash risk about 30 times higher than other road users.
The casualty crash statistics show that programs aimed at improving road safety for vulnerable road users are important. I understand that the Attorney-General has asked the Justice and Community Safety Directorate to consider additional measures for protecting vulnerable road users, in developing the future action plans under the ACT road safety strategy.
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