Road Safety Strategies
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WRITTEN QUESTIONS
10th Assembly
19/07/2005
189. Road Safety Strategies
Ms Carney to MINISTER for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
QUESTION
Minister you spent a small fortune boasting you were recruiting more police:
1. What educational strategies were implemented in 2004/2005 to educate drivers on better road safety and to help save lives on our roads.
ANSWER
Answered on 06/02/2006
The Road Safety Division continues to coordinate Territory-wide road safety campaigns. These are normally associated with major public events such as Christmas, Easter, and Back to School, with localised enforcement operations being conducted on a regional level and timed to correspond with local events when large numbers of people can be expected on our roads, such a Regional Shows, V8 Super Cars, Adelaide River Races, Camel Cup, Henley-on-Todd and Darwin Cup.
The Lasseter Highway Speed Enforcement Program has significantly impacted on the reduction of accidents and road injuries occurring in the Southern Region of the Territory since its inception on 17 December 2001. The program is now in its fourth year of operation, and compared to the average of the three years before commencing the program, statistics show a 50% reduction in fatal accidents, 60% reduction in serious injured accidents, and a 60% reduction in minor injury accidents. The successful trial of the speed restrictions coupled with active enforcement remains a consideration on other roads where speed is a continuing factor in fatal and injury-related crashes.
Speed Cameras continue to be one of the most effective methods of reducing speed-related crashes in monitored areas. The decline in offences detected can be largely attributed to an increased proactive policing presence on Territory roads and greater compliance by motorists. The public are also aware of targeted speed camera Hot Spots and are complying with road rules at those Hot Spots at greater levels than in previous years.
The Northern Territory Police Force, in conjunction with the Road Safety Division, also commenced the ‘Beat the Heat’ initiative to encourage young drivers to stop the dangerous practice of illegal street racing on public streets, and encourage them to undertake this activity in a safe and controlled environment at organised motor racing events. The program is linked to both Road Safety and Crime Prevention Strategies and has proven popular with both young drivers and police.
The ‘Look After Your Mates’ Aboriginal Road Safety Program was developed in 2003 using a community approach, and included the three major elements of road safety, i.e. education, engineering and enforcement. The theme ‘Look After Your Mates’ uses family bond as a motivation factor to increase community road safety awareness.
All police stations are required to develop and implement local Aboriginal Road Safety action plans and report back to the Road Safety Division on a monthly basis. The ‘Look After Your Mates’ Program utilises Aboriginal Community Police Officers and Remote Area Patrols and Night Patrols to promote Aboriginal Road Safety at a local level by targeting non-wearing of seatbelts, overcrowding, alcohol-related driving offences, grog runners, unroadworthy vehicles (life endangering defects), and pedestrians.
WRITTEN QUESTIONS
10th Assembly
19/07/2005
189. Road Safety Strategies
Ms Carney to MINISTER for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
QUESTION
Road Safety Strategies
Minister you spent a small fortune boasting you were recruiting more police:
1. What educational strategies were implemented in 2004/2005 to educate drivers on better road safety and to help save lives on our roads.
ANSWER
Answered on 06/02/2006
The Road Safety Division continues to coordinate Territory-wide road safety campaigns. These are normally associated with major public events such as Christmas, Easter, and Back to School, with localised enforcement operations being conducted on a regional level and timed to correspond with local events when large numbers of people can be expected on our roads, such a Regional Shows, V8 Super Cars, Adelaide River Races, Camel Cup, Henley-on-Todd and Darwin Cup.
The Lasseter Highway Speed Enforcement Program has significantly impacted on the reduction of accidents and road injuries occurring in the Southern Region of the Territory since its inception on 17 December 2001. The program is now in its fourth year of operation, and compared to the average of the three years before commencing the program, statistics show a 50% reduction in fatal accidents, 60% reduction in serious injured accidents, and a 60% reduction in minor injury accidents. The successful trial of the speed restrictions coupled with active enforcement remains a consideration on other roads where speed is a continuing factor in fatal and injury-related crashes.
Speed Cameras continue to be one of the most effective methods of reducing speed-related crashes in monitored areas. The decline in offences detected can be largely attributed to an increased proactive policing presence on Territory roads and greater compliance by motorists. The public are also aware of targeted speed camera Hot Spots and are complying with road rules at those Hot Spots at greater levels than in previous years.
The Northern Territory Police Force, in conjunction with the Road Safety Division, also commenced the ‘Beat the Heat’ initiative to encourage young drivers to stop the dangerous practice of illegal street racing on public streets, and encourage them to undertake this activity in a safe and controlled environment at organised motor racing events. The program is linked to both Road Safety and Crime Prevention Strategies and has proven popular with both young drivers and police.
The ‘Look After Your Mates’ Aboriginal Road Safety Program was developed in 2003 using a community approach, and included the three major elements of road safety, i.e. education, engineering and enforcement. The theme ‘Look After Your Mates’ uses family bond as a motivation factor to increase community road safety awareness.
All police stations are required to develop and implement local Aboriginal Road Safety action plans and report back to the Road Safety Division on a monthly basis. The ‘Look After Your Mates’ Program utilises Aboriginal Community Police Officers and Remote Area Patrols and Night Patrols to promote Aboriginal Road Safety at a local level by targeting non-wearing of seatbelts, overcrowding, alcohol-related driving offences, grog runners, unroadworthy vehicles (life endangering defects), and pedestrians.
Last updated: 04 Aug 2016