First Action Plan 2008-2010
Every life we lose on our roads is one too many. Victoria’s new road safety strategy – arrive alive 2008-2017 builds on the state’s strong road safety record and introduces new targets and actions to save lives, reduce crashes and improve safety on our roads over the 10 years from 2008 to 2017.
This First Action Plan is the first of three plans that will be developed and implemented over the duration of the strategy. These shorter term plans will set out new actions to be taken under the strategy and will ensure that the strategy remains relevant, effective and on-track to meet the Victorian Government’s targets for road safety.
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Our new targets By the end of arrive alive 2008-2017, the Victorian Government aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 30 per cent. By the end of 2017 the strategy will:
Meeting these targets will significantly reduce the emotional, physical and financial impact of road trauma on individuals, families and communities. It will keep Victoria at the forefront of Australian and international efforts to reduce road trauma, deliver further major improvements to our road transport system and improve safety for all Victorian road users. The success of this action plan will be measured against these targets. |
New actions in key areas
While continuing to deliver proven road safety measures, the First Action Plan 2008-2010 of arrive alive 2008-2017 delivers major new initiatives in five key areas.
- Road improvements
The plan delivers unprecedented investment of $650 million in roads and roadsides over 10 years to give Victorian road users the highest standard of travel conditions they have ever experienced. Road and roadside improvements will be targeted towards reducing the major types of crashes and delivering the greatest road safety benefits.
There will also be a focus on prevention through an expanded Greyspot program and its emphasis on proactive treatments. - Safe vehicles
Research indicates that if all Victorian motorists upgraded their vehicles to the safest in their class, road trauma would immediately drop by up to one third. The First Action Plan introduces new campaigns to promote the greater take up of vehicles with safety features, such as electronic stability control (ESC) and side curtain air bags that will significantly reduce the likelihood of crashes occurring and reduce the severity of outcomes when crashes do occur. The Government will play a vital leadership role by committing to purchase safer vehicles and working with the vehicle industry on the accelerated introduction of safety features in new vehicles. - Drug driving
The arrive alive 2008 - 2017 strategy recognises that driving while affected by illicit drugs is a growing problem, with illicit drugs found to be a factor in more fatal crashes than alcohol in 2005. The First Action Plan includes a strong focus on preventing these unnecessary deaths through new education campaigns and a heightened enforcement effort. - Young drivers
Drivers aged 18 to 25 years make up 13 per cent of all licensed drivers, yet account for an alarming 27 per cent of all driver deaths. The First Action Plan introduces a new graduated licensing system (GLS) and trialling of the National Novice Driver Program to improve the safety of young Victorian drivers.
The new GLS will introduce a two stage P1 and P2 probationary licence system before moving to a full licence. This new system will also introduce peer passenger restrictions for P1 drivers (first year). - Strategic enforcement
Government will adopt a range of new intelligence based enforcement measures to crackdown on the minority of road users who put the broader community at risk through anti-social behaviour such as speeding and drink and drug driving.
The Safe System
For the first time, Victoria is formally incorporating the Safe System approach to road safety into the arrive alive 2008-2017 strategy. This approach aims to create a much safer road environment in which alert and responsible road users should not lose their lives – or be permanently disabled – as a result of a crash on our road system.
Each action plan will reflect the elements of the Safe System approach to road safety:
- Safer roads and roadsides – improving the infrastructure of our roads and roadsides to reduce the likelihood of crashes, and the likelihood of death or serious injury where a crash does occur
- Safer vehicles – increasing the proportion of vehicles on Victoria’s roads with high standard safety features to reduce risks for all road users
- Safer road users – increasing the safe behaviour of road users by tackling areas such as speeding, drink driving, fatigued driving and driver distraction, and by focusing on particular groups of road users.
Engaging the community
Improving road safety requires a community effort – and all Victorian road users share a responsibility to help make our roads safer.
A key focus of the plan is ensuring that all road users have the information and education they need to contribute to Victoria’s efforts to improve road safety, reduce serious injuries and save lives.
arrive alive 2008-2017 recognises that road safety is a shared responsibility and that all Victorian road users must play their part in reducing road trauma. The First Action Plan of the strategy has been developed in consultation with the Victorian community and will be delivered in partnership with road users, state government agencies, local councils, RoadSafe Community Road Safety Councils, professional organisations, community groups and others.
The Government will continue to engage all Victorian communities in road safety and will consult widely in developing the remaining action plans to ensure that road safety initiatives under arrive alive 2008-2017 enjoy strong community support and reflect Victorians’ expectations for a safe transport network.
