No quick fix for road toll: Says Vic Transport Minister..

parawolf · 19-02-2006, 12:57 PM

http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...151851279.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by www.theage.com.au

No quick fix for road toll: minister

* State's roads in dire need of funding, says RACV

Do not expect to see dramatic reductions in the state's road toll over the next couple of years. That is the grim forecast from Victoria's Transport Minister.

Peter Batchelor told The Sunday Age that big falls in the road toll could not be sustained and road-safety initiatives such as safer car designs and increased training for young drivers would take longer to have an effect.

But he warned car manufacturers that the State Government would consider lending its voice to a name-and-shame campaign informing the public which cars had the best and worst safety features, as part of the next wave of road-safety strategies.

Mr Batchelor said additional safety features in cars and influencing buyer attitudes would also take time to bring down the road toll. "The next round of initiatives are going to take longer to implement, so the drops in the road toll in the years ahead are likely to be less dramatic than they have been over the last three years," he said.

The Transport Minister's concerns come as the Government's current road safety campaign, Arrive Alive, approaches completion. Arrive Alive is a five-year strategy to reduce deaths and injuries on Victoria's roads by 20 per cent from 2002 to 2007.

The campaign, which has tackled issues including road design, speeding, drink-driving, fatigue and vehicle safety, had spectacular early results. In 2002 and 2003 the road toll fell by 25 per cent, or 114 deaths.

The drop in Victoria's road deaths during the period was greater than the reduction for the rest of Australia combined.

Victoria's 2003 road toll of 330 was the state's lowest on record.

But in the past two years deaths on Victoria's roads have climbed, creeping up 4 per cent since 2003, and Mr Batchelor said new road safety strategies must be considered.

"We have a policy based on having safer roads, safer cars and safer driving behaviour," he said. "The next big reductions in the road toll will, in fact, come from engineering designs for vehicles."

Mr Batchelor said he would like to see side air-bags and electronic stability programs compulsory, or at least more widely available, in Victorian cars. "This can be achieved two ways: by consumer demand . . . or through changes to the Australian design system," he said.

He said the State Government could take a leading role promoting safer vehicles and he called on the Federal Government to change national design standards.

The other main road safety strategy to be included in the next wave of reforms would be driver education, Mr Batchelor said. Victoria, NSW and the Federal Government are joint partners in a three-year driver-education trial about to begin, involving up to 7000 young drivers. Mr Batchelor also confirmed the State Government would be making changes to P-plate laws this year.

parawolf · 19-02-2006, 12:58 PM

Righto - so a 'name and shame' register of car safety is a better idea than better driver education/training?

Shesh...

max^power · 19-02-2006, 02:25 PM

if victorians weren't forced to spend so much time checking their speedo's to avoid a ticket, it may reduce the toll on it's own.

FirstFord · 19-02-2006, 07:45 PM

Mmmmm, Let's see;

-"Transport Statement" (ie Govt's plan for transport for next 5 years) is imminent
-Election in November

And Batchelor says
- No quick fixes
- lets point the finger elsewhere.

Does this mean there'll be less road saftey funding in the future??

By all means support improved vehicle saftey, but by the same token, make the roads better through a/ better design b/increased maintenance. And why "shame" manufacturers - encourage them.

Spend some bucks (the ones from all the bloody speed camera revenue) on proper driver education (that includes both driving ability and road sense) that begins at school.

Improve public transport as well - less volume of traffic on the roads.

We really live in a nanny state down here.

EL_futuraistic · 19-02-2006, 08:41 PM

Im sorry, but how does ensuring every vehicle has AirBags and ESP reduce the road toll??? As far as i can see all that does is give people with "big ego's" even greater confidence to go faster and take more risks, because there is less chance of their Collision being Fatal.

Im sure the Transport Minister is a very smart man, as this strategy would "technically" reduce the road toll Figures wise so he would look like a hero, as safer vehicles do give people a greater chance of survival in a Collision. HOWEVER it still fails to address the "real" issues of road safety, like gee i dont know REDUCING THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS and Educating People.

And sure they might make AirBags compulsary, and ESP compulsary which is all good, but are they going to *COUGH UP the $$ for every victorian motorist to trade in their current vehicle so we can all be safe, or is it only the people with unlimited bank accounts who can afford to get a New Car evey year the government comes up with another compulsary" safety feature" or changes the ADR's..... I dont think so.

Maybe we could all start wearing Racing Helmets when behind the the wheel??? would that help?

Casper · 19-02-2006, 08:56 PM

Sorry, got to "Peter Batchelor told The Sunday Age" and started looking for something hard to belt the ferret faced ИИИИing ИИИИsucking motherИИИИing arsewipe ИИИИ for brains turd of a chook ИИИИer with.

Nothing he says is worth either listening to or discussing. He is a turd, he deserves nothing but comtempt. I wouldnt ИИИИ on him if he was on fire.

mik · 19-02-2006, 09:02 PM

you got his number EL PRESIDENTE

Bucknaked · 19-02-2006, 09:03 PM

Cash for comment. Shaming motor companies by running personal campaigns against their product because they wouldn't install something upon their reccomendation is typical. Motor companies invest millions in making their product better and safer. Then the government comes along, commissions a consultant to say, all cars should have side airbags, then tries to heavy the car companies on a pencil pushers advice. Consumer's loyal to the band, won't listen to what governments have to say. We don't care. We know better

Ringo · 20-02-2006, 08:51 AM

ooooo Don't get me started on this topic.....

The statistics of who actually contribute to the road toll are clear.

About 75% of the figure is made up of:

Drunk drivers
Drugged drivers
Motorcyclists
People doing in excess of 30k over the speed limits

They are NOT people doing 5 k's over the speed limit yet that's what is targeted.

I love how the brains trust say that cameras are about preventing accidents, then roll out camera on the Geelong Freeway. If you could find a newer, straighter, smoother, safer bit of road in the whole of Vic I'd be impressed.......yet its an accident waiting to happen according to the brains trusts so they have put camera on it.

Peter Batchalor is a tosser. His theroy about bullying manufacturers to make safer cars is proof. What is the average age of cars in VIC.....about 10 years old. Manufactuer making 'safer' cars will effect people who buy new cars, not second hand ones.

I also have a beef about Vic NOT having annual rego inspections a la NSW. I think it keeps all the old sh-ters off the road and ensures that all cars get looked at by a mechanic at least once.

My wife is sick of me pointing out people driving around with bald tyres, defective lights and obviously unroadworthy cars......

Keepleft · 20-02-2006, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

ooooo Don't get me started on this topic.....

The statistics of who actually contribute to the road toll are clear.

About 75% of the figure is made up of:

Drunk drivers
Drugged drivers
Motorcyclists
Represent about 2.2% of total registrations.

People doing in excess of 30k over the speed limits
ACTUALLY comparatively few, BUT they do make great headlines when they happen.

They are NOT people doing 5 k's over the speed limit yet that's what is targeted.
REM - 80% of crashes occur BELOW the speed limit. Hence the term 'speed related'. A 'spin' if you like.

Peter Batchalor is a tosser. His theroy about bullying manufacturers to make safer cars is proof. What is the average age of cars in VIC.....about 10 years old. Manufactuer making 'safer' cars will effect people who buy new cars, not second hand ones.

More the point, vehicle design is not dictated by Peter or Victoria or any other State for that matter, the 'design rules' are UN in source and the COMMONWEALTH is contracted to them, and that is appropriate I say. IF an Aussie academic really wishes to impact vehicle design, he or she should do so by becoming involved in one of the working parties at UN level, domestic level activisim in this arena is almost pointless, and at UN WP level, they will find professional agreement or counter argument.

I also have a beef about Vic NOT having annual rego inspections a la NSW.

Sure, but remember that in relation to . . .

I think it keeps all the old sh-ters off the road and ensures that all cars get looked at by a mechanic at least once.

My wife is sick of me pointing out people driving around with bald tyres, defective lights

the above, 'light alignment' is NOT checked, just that the 'headlights' switch on. During the Pink slip test, front fog lights as fitted are not checked here in NSW, ditto on a Blue Slip (A fresh start registration from unregestered status).

and obviously unroadworthy cars......

When you fail, you are given time to 'fix' the items found wanting.

We need to tidy things up a bit. The cost for example of a headlight checking device from say Hella they (Inspectorate) tell me ranges $1500 - 3,000, this cost must be absorbed by the Station.

LTDHO · 20-02-2006, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ringo

ooooo Don't get me started on this topic.....

The statistics of who actually contribute to the road toll are clear.

About 75% of the figure is made up of:

Drunk drivers
Drugged drivers
Motorcyclists
People doing in excess of 30k over the speed limits

They are NOT people doing 5 k's over the speed limit yet that's what is targeted.

I love how the brains trust say that cameras are about preventing accidents, then roll out camera on the Geelong Freeway. If you could find a newer, straighter, smoother, safer bit of road in the whole of Vic I'd be impressed.......yet its an accident waiting to happen according to the brains trusts so they have put camera on it.

Peter Batchalor is a tosser. His theroy about bullying manufacturers to make safer cars is proof. What is the average age of cars in VIC.....about 10 years old. Manufactuer making 'safer' cars will effect people who buy new cars, not second hand ones.

I also have a beef about Vic NOT having annual rego inspections a la NSW. I think it keeps all the old sh-ters off the road and ensures that all cars get looked at by a mechanic at least once.

My wife is sick of me pointing out people driving around with bald tyres, defective lights and obviously unroadworthy cars......

I agree Ringo.

The government is so much up their ИИИИ with the SPEED KILLS they can't see what is really causing motor accidents.

There is an easy fix. Mr Peter Batchelor needs to open his eyes and fix it and stop palming it off to others!

SB076 · 20-02-2006, 12:28 PM

Surprised he didn't blame speed for the road toll and insisted on more cameras. Must admit it gets very tiring driving around vic constantly watching your speedo and checking for speed limit signs, it would be nice to watch the road everynow and then. As for blaming vehicle manufacturers, there legislation controls what requirements need to be adhered too.

Just out of curiosity Keepleft how many accidents are caused by drivers doing between 5K and 25K over the limit?