FOR MEDIA 5 DECEMBER 1989
The Commonwealth Government has decided to take further
action to reduce the national road toll and improve the
efficiency of safety regulation of road transport, by
inviting the States to adopt the following uniform
measures on a co-ordinated basis:
national .05 level alcohol limit
national licensing of heavy truck and bus
drivers national uniform speed limits
speed limiters for heavy vehicles.
adopt zero alcohol limits for young drivers
increase enforcement to ensure that 1 in 4
drivers are random breath-tested for alcohol in
a year
implement a graduated licensing system for
young drivers
introduce compulsory bicycle helmet wearing
introduce daylight running lights for
motorcyclists increase enforcement of seat belt and child
restraint wearing.
I trust all States will perceive the benefit to
Australians travelling on our roads from this package.
It's time we stopped pretending that each State has got
the finest road laws imaginable and started catering
effectively for the massive level of inter-State road
transport. Motorists and the trucking industry both
desperately need uniform laws.
I anticipate that Bob Brown will be holding a meeting of
State Ministers before Christmas to initiate this
program. S.
I will be writing to State Premiers this week with the
broad outline of the package.
As evidence of the Commonwealth's genuine desire to
obtain these national benefits for all Australians, we
will also offer to those States and Territories which
give a commitment to implementing this package by 1 July
1990, additional road funding for the purpose of
eliminating known ' black spots' intersections,
bridgeworks or other traffic points noted for involvement
in accidents.
For this purpose, the Commonwealth will make available up
to S110m over the next three financial years for this
purpose. A separate and additional $ 10m will support extra
research into vehicle design and other strategic issues,
Sand public education programs aimed at changing attitudes
and behaviour relating to issues such as drink driving,
speed and aggression.
In particular, there will be continued financial support
for injury prevention programs, such as the Australian
Injury Prevention Program and its associated national
injury surveillance system. $ 250,000 a year will be
provided to improve the collection of injury data.
These actions are in addition to those outlined by
Bob Brown on 26 October.
I pay tribute in the development of this proposal to
Sir Dennis Paterson, President of the International
Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. whom I met
earlier this year. As a result of his advocacy of the
need for the Commonwealth to take the lead in this area,
I asked Bob Brown and Neal Blewett to put together this
package. I trust that the States will recognise its value and cooperate
with it.