NTRO is proud to be part of pledging support for safer roads for all users by 2030.
Austroads, the lead of the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP), has joined with its partners – the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), Roads Australia (RA) and the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) – to pledge their support for safer roads for all users by 2030 at the Australasian Road Safety Conference in Hobart.
As mechanisms to drive better safety outcomes, use of AusRAP and other risk-based assessment tools, as well as road safety audits, contribute to achieving national as well as specific state or territory fatality and serious injury reduction goals.
The pledge reinforces AusRAP’s commitment to maximising road safety trauma reduction. It aligns with the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30, which aims to halve road deaths and reduce serious injuries by at least 30% by 2030. Furthermore, it supports the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030.
“Every week in Australia 25 people die and 770 are seriously injured. This level of trauma is unacceptable. Safer roads will play a significant role in reducing this amount of harm in our communities and that is why we commit to the use of AusRAP and other risk based assessment tools to achieve the national target that at least 80% of travel occurs on roads with a 3-star or equivalent rating or higher by 2030,” said Geoff Allan, Austroads Chief Executive.
AusRAP and other risk-based assessments, as well as road safety audits play a crucial role in achieving road safety targets. They provide road authorities with the tools to systematically and proactively evaluate road safety, enabling the development and prioritisation of treatment plans that will enhance safety for all road users.
“Our pledge today supports the transformation of Australian road safety. With just five years remaining to halve the number of deaths on our roads and meet the targets set in the National Road Safety Strategy, the urgency for action is greater than ever,” said Geoff.
The pledge is part of the initiative by iRAP, the International Road Federation and the FIA Foundation calling on organisations involved in designing and financing roads to pledge their commitment to safer roads. The pledge, along with many others from around the world, will be presented to the world’s road safety leaders in February 2025, at the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech, Morrocco.
Attributable quotes
National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), Jeff Doyle, Executive Director Roads and Road Safety: Safety of our roads is critical to reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured each year. Road trauma leaves lasting physical and psychological impacts that undermine the health of our society and our economy. We stand for safer roads that will enable more sustainable mobility for all road users and we commit our support to the objectives of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30.
Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS), Dr Ingrid Johnston, Chief Executive Officer: No one should be killed or seriously injured on our roads. Our pledge today is a commitment of support for the existing roads carrying more than 80% of travel to be 3 star or equivalent rating or better for all road users by 2030. Improving road safety does not always need to rely on massive capital investment and lengthy road projects. We know reducing speeds will save lives and this can be applied overnight. There is no time to lose.
International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP), Rob McInerney, Chief Executive Officer: Globally, more than 3,200 people are killed on the roads every day. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for young people aged 5-29 around the world. Today’s pledge in support of the Australian National Road Safety Strategy is also a statement of support for the Global Plan for the Decade of Action on Road Safety 2021-30. We know road infrastructure rated 3 stars or better for safety saves lives and prevents injuries. We have only 5 years left in this decade of action to make a difference, to halve the number of deaths and injuries on our roads.
Roads Australia, Ehssan Veiszadeh, Chief Executive Officer: Roads Australia is proud to stand beside our road safety partners in support of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30 and the UN Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-30. Road crashes are the leading cause of death for our young people aged 15-24. We stand for proactive risk assessments that promote investment in safer road infrastructure. We stand for safer roads for all road users.
Additional information
Globally, road crashes kill nearly 1.3 million people and cause an estimated 50 million injuries each year, making road crashes the biggest killer of children and young people aged 5 to 29 years[1] worldwide.
Each year, around 1,200 people are killed and almost 40,000 are seriously injured on Australian roads.
1Global status report on road safety 2023 (who.int)