With the goal of halving fatalities and reducing serious injuries on our roads, the Minns Labor Government has launched its 2031 Road Safety Action Plan, setting out the next five years of measures.
The Road Safety Action Plan delivers a comprehensive package of reforms and targeted initiatives, focused on the areas where the greatest safety outcomes can be made.
The Plan identifies priority areas which are focused on improving safety for vulnerable road users, increasing safe behaviour by all road users, as well as increasing the use of safer vehicles and the use of protective equipment, improving the safety of high-speed roads, creating safe and vibrant urban places, strengthening road safety management and improving post-crash care.
Discussions with experts and the community through state-wide consultation sessions have helped Transport for NSW develop this plan.
Key actions which will be funded as part of the 2031 Road Safety Action Plan include:
- Strengthening regional road safety through targeted investment in barriers, rumble strips, intersection upgrades and council support to address risks, while improving safety ratings on high-risk regional roads where serious crashes occur.
- A greater focus on coordinated emergency response, after-crash trauma care, rehabilitation and recovery – to reduce the severity and long-term impacts of road trauma.
- Improving safety outcomes for e-bike riders through stronger regulation, enforcement and education, while improving the collection and use of crash and trauma data to understand emerging risks better.
- Developing a plan to investigate how average speed cameras could be expanded to light vehicles, including operational requirements, lessons from the recent trial and feedback from industry and the community.
- Strengthening deterrence of high-risk behaviours through increased roadside enforcement capability and examining opportunities to enhance roadside testing over the life of the Plan.
- Improving pedestrian safety through safer crossings and targeted infrastructure in busy urban centres, local streets and other high pedestrian areas.
- Protecting vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists through road safety infrastructure and safer speed limits.
- Reforming the Motorcycle Graduated Licensing Scheme through enhanced rider training, expanded coaching and a new Online Rider Knowledge Test.
- Develop a program where eligible families can have child restraints checked and correctly fitted, as an alternative to financial penalties.
- Improve safety around level crossings using technology and enforcement.
- Adopting the revised National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework for skills-based driver training, assessment and licensing.
The Plan also continues to build on the Safe System approach, recognising that while people make mistakes, deaths and serious injuries are not inevitable and the road network should be designed to protect road users when mistakes occur.
The 2031 Road Safety Action Plan can be found here.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison:
“Every death and serious injury on our road network has a devastating impact on families, friends and entire communities, which is why we’re doing all we can to make our roads safer.
“The 2031 Road Safety Action Plan focuses on practical actions that will make a difference, from safer infrastructure, improved motorcyclist training, better post-crash care, improved bus safety and tackling emerging challenges like e-bikes.
“We know that road trauma doesn’t have a single cause and there is no single solution. But this plan brings together new and strengthened actions across different areas to work on improving safety on our roads.
“This Plan has been shaped by communities, road safety experts, councils, researchers, emergency services, the heavy vehicle and automotive industries, and it reflects a shared commitment to reducing road trauma across NSW.”
