SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY SYMPOSIUM,
CANBERRA, 30 OCTOBER 1094
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Road safety is a matter of continuing national concern.
The road toll is one of our moqt horrific social
problems. In fact more Australians have been killed on our roads
in the last 12 years than died on active service in
World War II.
Putting the same point another way, more Australians
died on our roads in the first four months of 1984 than
during action in both the Korean and Vietnam wars
combined. These dramatic comparisons highlight starkly an
appalling waste of life. The annual cost to the
community has been estimated to be approximately $ 3000
million. To improve road safety is a national imperative. It is
a responsibility we all share.
None of us can afford to ignore the human and economic
cost of the tragedy being played out daily on our roads.
All Australians should be getting together to put an end
to this carnage.
There is no room here for parochial jealousies or
jurisdictional disputes. All Australians should be more
conscious of the dimensions of the problem and sho. ld
join together in identifying and implementing the best
means of remedying it.
In the-past 18 months the Government has initiated the
most comprehensive overhaul ever undertaken of
Australia's national transport system. This is a
fundamental contribution to improved road, safety.
On road construction and mainteniance alone we have
increased our spending by 46 per cent to a record $ 1245
million. The improvements made are evident to all who travel our
highways, particularly the national highway system which
the Federal Government funds totally.
The benefits to the economy in creating employment,
providing more efficient transport services, and
utlimately in saving lives and avoiding injuries are
there for all to see.
We also have spent $ 7 million this year specifically on
road safety administration, research an~ d promotion.
This I believe is an excellent investment and is but a
small price to pay for effective action in this critical
area.
However, money alone won't solve the problem it takes
much more. Uo matter how much we spend on better roads,
no matter how much we spend on regulating for safer
vehicles, the behaviour of the person behind the wheel
or the handlebars is still the greatest problem.
The message we have to get across to our fellow
Australians, particularly the younger generation is:
" stop killing each other".
In the hands of tChe inexperienced and the impetuous, the
motor vehicle can be a lethal weapon. When added to
this there is the driver attitude of " she'll be right",
or " it can't happen to me", then we really have cause to
worry. Such attitudes must be changed. Too many Australians
take the road toll for granted. They seem strangely
inui~ ed to the tragedy being played out around them. We
need to put an end to the grisly pattern which,
regrettably, is now all too familiar.
Over the past few years we have quite rightly seen a
concentration on the human aspect, of road safety. The
Federal and State campaigns waged successful~ ly to combat
drink-driving are excellent examples.
As a co nsequence of these campaigns, public attitudes to
drink-driving are changing with excellent results for
families. The load on our hospitals who have to
repair the damage -has also been proportionately
reduced.
But at an even more fundamental level we need to be sure
our drivers know how to drive. We should be teaching
our young drivers more effectively than we do at
present; we should also be doina as Much as we can to
maintain and develop higher levels of driving skills
among those who have gained their unrestricted licence.
An increasing proportion of the Government's research
and promotion budget is being directed to this end.
The graduated driver licensing scheme by which those
under 25 progress through four stages of supervision and
instruction over a two year period, has been developed
and put to the States as a practical attempt to ensure
that new drivers are more competent.
I was pleased to see that the -South Australian
Government has adopted the concept and will be
implementing a pilot program next year.
Government action in this field will, however, never be
enough. We all have to work together, especially within
the family, our schools and community groups to secure
better driving standards.
We need to teach our new drivers and many older ones
that driving safety is much more than being able to
change gears, steer, park, and perform all those
physical functions in getting the vehicle from A to B.
We should persuade drivers that impatience, aggression
and lack of consideration on the road serve no
constructive purpose and might well prove fatal to the
driver himself/ or herself.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In'wishing this symposium every' success in its
examination of priorities, and in its assessment of
problems, information and remedial measures, let me give
you one assurance: my Government is right behind you.
We are cOmmitted t'o improving the nation's roads.
Better roads are safer roads and we-are spending record
amount of money on this, despite very strict Budgetary
constraints. We are also committed to improved vehicle standards. We
have introduced a certification system which, with
current streamlining and considerable investment, will
ensure that our cars are as safe as any others in the
world.
We also want t-o see Australian drivers become better
drivers. Every car driver, heavy vehicle driver,
motorcyclist, pedestrian and push bike rider needs to be
more aware of the dangers and to be better able to use
our roads without mishap.
This will only happen if all of us join in a
concentrated effort to make our roads safer safer for
all Australians.
At the national level we have shown since coming to
Government, that there is a very strong community spirit
which an be harnessed for the common good. We should
apply this to road safety as much as we are doing to
economic matters, industrial revival, restructuring and
industrial disputation.
All Australians have a common interest in reducing the
road toll. We should be doing all we can to minimise
road deaths and injuries.
That is why road safety is so important.
It therefore gives me great plEasure to declare this
National Road-Safety Symposium officially open.