FOR PRESS: ROAD SAFETY
Statement by the Prime i'inister, the Rt Hon.
William M~ cMahon,_ C. H., M. P.
The Commonwealth Government iA determined to save
lives on the Australian roads.
It is not enough to feel sympathy for those involved
in motor accidents. We must work vigorously with the States to
ensure that every possible means of reducing this toll are
fully exploited. Few poople have not been touched in one way or anothor
by a road tragedy. Road accidcnts rank fourth among the major
causes of death in Australia and arc the
major cause of death for young men under
the age of 25 ycars.
The road toll last yoar, when more than 3,500
were killed and more than 90,000 were injured
can only be described as a national tragedy.
In addition to this huma. n suffering, there is
the staggering ccornomic cost to the community
which could be morn than $ 5 million
annually.
In order to find out what morc the Commonwealth could
do, we appointed an expert group to undertake a detailed and
scientific review of the road accident situation in Australia.
We roceived the report of the expert group last month
and I have alrcady announced our decision to accept the group's
major recommendations for action on the part of the Commonwealth.
A high level specialist National Office of Road Safety
will be created within the Department of Shipping and Transport
to co-ordinate and support State and Territory efforts in road
safety. It will become a focal point of national efforts to
promote road safsty.
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We also propose to assist the States in removing
danger spots that menace the drivers on our roads. We will
provide immediately $ 5 million a year to the States to double
their present expenditure in this regard and will undertake
with the States a survey of locations with poor accident records
to see what more needs to be done to make our roads safer.
The task of reducing the road toll is not a simple one.
It will not be solved by subjective thinking or strong support
of personal attitudes. It will demand objective analysis of the
problems involved and a high degree of coroperation between the
many authorities concerned. We have shown that we are prepared
to do our part at the national level.
CANBERRA, 27 November 1972
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