List of Recommendations

Recommendation 1

2.154

The committee recommends that a cabinet minister for road safety be appointed. A key responsibility of the minister should be reporting to the Parliament on an annual basis in relation to the performance indicators in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 (NRSS 2021–30) and on progress in relation to the goals and priority actions in the NRSS 2021–30 and associated Action Plans.

Recommendation 2

2.163

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options to establish an advisory body for the Office of Road Safety, comprising road safety experts and professional organisations.

Recommendation 3

2.182

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to agree a mechanism for the sharing of road safety data between jurisdictions.

Recommendation 4

2.184

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options to encourage fitment of event data recorders across the Australian vehicle fleet, and to enable access to the data by police.

Recommendation 5

2.187

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and other stakeholder to investigate options for a national crash review framework and road crash database.

Recommendation 6

2.189

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options for regular public reporting on road trauma statistics, including on rates of change.

Recommendation 7

2.195

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and research institutions to develop and implement a national road safety research strategy.

Recommendation 8

3.94

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and other stakeholders such as Austroads to support development of nationally consistent guidelines and standards for road infrastructure which:

align with the movement and place approach;

incorporate Safe System principles;

ensure safety for all road users, with a focus on vulnerable road users;

optimise access for people with disability;

prioritise human factors design and risk management;

make provision for active travel infrastructure; and

encourage safe speeds.

Recommendation 9

3.105

The committee recommends that the Australian Government:

Include measures to increase safety at level crossings in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021 – 2030; and

Work with state and territory governments and the National Rail Safety Regulator to investigate opportunities to improve the safety of level crossings, including through targeted investment.

Recommendation 10

3.124

The committee recommends that the Australian Government review the National Land Transport Act 2014, to ensure that it enables funding for projects which capture entire road corridors, including infrastructure which supports safe active travel.

Recommendation 11

4.82

The committee recommends that the Australian Government continue the Road Safety Program over the life of the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 and increase the funding available under that program.

Recommendation 12

4.98

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to review and investigate ways of improving funding arrangements for infrastructure and road safety programs, with a focus on:

providing longer-term, sustainable funding to road safety projects to enable more effective project and workforce planning;

identifying priority areas for targeted investment, based on factors such as predicted crash risk;

increasing the amount of funding dedicated to safety improvements on and around regional, rural, and remote roads;

establishing categories of funding dedicated to specific types of road safety improvements, with a focus on safety for vulnerable road users;

allocating additional funding to local government, balancing autonomy for local government with oversight of road safety outcomes; and

prioritising safety for all road users without unduly limiting the funding available for critical infrastructure upgrades.

Recommendation 13

4.102

The committee recommends that the Australian Government make all funding for road safety and road infrastructure projects conditional on the provision of data on road safety outcomes. Where practicable, this should include provision of data on the star rating of the relevant road.

Recommendation 14

4.105

The committee recommends that the Australian Government publish star ratings for all roads on an ongoing basis.

Recommendation 15

4.106

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate the feasibility of developing a tool to allow road users to plan journeys according to safety, using star ratings as a basis.

Recommendation 16

5.153

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) to enhance ANCAP testing protocols, with a particular focus on:

implementing protocols to assess human-vehicle interfaces; and

safety for cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists.

Recommendation 17

5.155

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, the Monash University Accident Research Centre, and the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) to:

increase alignment between ANCAP safety ratings and Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR); and

develop and implement campaigns to increase awareness of USCRs as a measure of used vehicle safety.

Recommendation 18

5.160

The committee recommends that the Australian Government develop, publish, and implement a roadmap for mandating proven vehicle safety features by regulation

Recommendation 19

5.163

The committee recommends that the Australian Government review policy and guidance applicable to regulatory impact assessments associated with Australian Design Rules and other road safety matters, with a view to increasing the priority afforded to road safety outcomes.

Recommendation 20

5.168

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with road safety stakeholders to develop, publish, and implement guidance on best-practice fleet purchasing policy. Guidance should at a minimum specify that all vehicles purchased or used for work purposes must have a five-star safety rating with a recent date stamp.

Recommendation 21

5.172

Building on recommendations of the previous Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, the committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state, territory, and local governments to ensure that fleet policies for all levels of government:

require vehicles purchased under salary sacrifice agreements have a five-star safety rating with a date stamp no older than three years;

require vehicles used for work purposes to have a five-star safety rating with a date stamp no older than six years; and

extend to all persons engaged in the public sector, including senior executives and parliamentarians.

Recommendation 22

5.177

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to:

identify and remove tax-based barriers to the purchase of newer, safer vehicles; and

investigate opportunities to provide incentives for the purchase of newer, safer vehicles, with a focus on supporting lower-income road users and people in regional, rural, and remote areas.

Recommendation 23

5.185

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to review measures at the state and territory level to regulate the use of e-scooters and other micro-mobility devices, with a view to ensuring the safety of riders, pedestrians, and other road users.

Recommendation 24

5.188

The committee recommends that the Australian Government support actions to increase uptake of vehicle safety features with measures to increase public awareness and understanding of how the features operate, with a focus on autonomous and semi-autonomous systems and the risks of disengagement from the driving task.

Recommendation 25

5.191

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the Aboriginal Community-Controlled sector to identify opportunities for investment in programs which:

increase access to safer vehicles and proven safety features; and

build capacity around vehicle maintenance and safe vehicle use.

Recommendation 26

5.194

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, the insurance industry and other road safety stakeholders to investigate opportunities to reform motor vehicle insurance and to develop a roadmap towards policy and law reform.

Recommendation 27

6.124

The committee recommends that the Australian Government support the deployment of average speed cameras for all vehicle types by:

working with state and territory governments to develop and agree a roadmap for increasing numbers of average speed cameras across the road network;

making infrastructure and road safety funding conditional on state and territory governments extending the coverage of existing average speed cameras to all vehicle types; and

making funding for projects on major roads and highways conditional on the deployment of average speed cameras for all vehicle types.

Recommendation 28

6.127

The committee recommends that the Australian Government ensure that actions to reduce speed limits and implement enforcement measures are accompanied by community consultation, with a focus on emphasising the safety benefits of these measures to community members.

Recommendation 29

6.134

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and police agencies to develop and implement a national enforcement strategy targeting driving under the influence of drugs. This should involve the development of a national drug testing standard and research on reliable, accurate testing methods.

Recommendation 30

7.131

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to develop and implement national standards for road safety education in schools. The standards should have a core focus on enabling students to identify, understand, and respond to road safety risks, and on sharing roads safely with other road users.

Recommendation 31

7.138

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to increase the extent to which new drivers are required to demonstrate key competencies before receiving a learner or provisional licence. The committee also recommends that the following be embedded within the training framework for all drivers:

Sharing the road safely with other users, with specific competencies focused on sharing the road safely with heavy vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.

Driving on roads outside of metropolitan areas, with a focus on driving on rural and remote roads.

Responding to risks and building a personal ‘risk profile’.

Hazard perception, awareness, and response.

Recommendation 32

7.141

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to harmonise licensing requirements and associated restrictions as far as possible. As part of this process, the committee considers that requirements and restrictions with the greatest impact on road safety outcomes should be identified, with national implementation of such measures supported.

Recommendation 33

7.144

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, motorcycle associations and other stakeholders to investigate potential changes to motorcycle licensing requirements which will improve safety without unduly discouraging motorcycling as a transport choice.

Recommendation 34

7.148

Building on the work of the previous Joint Select Committee on Road Safety and noting proposed actions in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030, the committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the Aboriginal Community-Controlled sector to identify priority funding areas. These should have a focus on removing barriers to licensure and enabling access to culturally safe, appropriate road safety education.

Recommendation 35

7.152

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and relevant peak bodies to:

develop national guidance for the identification and assessment of at-risk drivers by occupational therapy driving assessors (OTDAs); and

explore opportunities to subsidise access to assessments conducted by OTDAs—for example via existing health and disability programs.

Recommendation 36

7.156

Building on recommendations of the previous Joint Select Committee on Road Safety, the committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate opportunities to support road safety campaigns that:

encourage drivers to regularly evaluate their driving ability, including by self-referring for testing if necessary; and

improve perceptions of vulnerable road users, with a particular focus on pedestrians, cyclists, and delivery riders.

Recommendation 37

7.158

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and research organisations to develop and implement a national framework for evaluating the effectiveness of road safety campaigns.

Recommendation 38

7.160

The committee recommends that the Australian Government partner with the Aboriginal Community-Controlled sector to increase investment in road safety campaigns which aim to improve safety for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Recommendation 39

8.105

The committee recommends that the Australian Government, working with the Office of Road Safety and Safe Work Australia, investigate mechanisms to encourage public and private sector entities to develop, publish and implement individual road safety strategies, including by providing support and guidance as needed.

Recommendation 40

8.110

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state, territory, and local government to develop a nationally consistent approach to the collection of data on crashes involving vehicles driven for work purposes.

Recommendation 41

8.111

The committee recommends that the Office of Road Safety work with Safe Work Australia to improve reporting of data on work-related fatal and serious injuries involving road and vehicle use.

Recommendation 42

8.116

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state, territory, and local government, and road safety stakeholders with relevant expertise, to develop and publish best-practice national guidance on ensuring safety for road workers around construction sites. This should include implementation of enforcement measures such as speed cameras.

Recommendation 43

8.117

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options to make funding for infrastructure projects conditional on funding recipients adopting:

measures to ensure the safety of road workers at the site; and

standards to protect all road users in construction activities.

Recommendation 44

8.119

The committee recommends that the Australian Government invest in targeted campaigns to increase public awareness of the importance of road worker safety, with a focus on encouraging drivers to lower speeds around work sites and increasing hazard awareness.

Recommendation 45

8.124

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with Safe Work Australia and other relevant stakeholders to support implementation of the Guide to managing work health and safety in the food delivery industry, and other guidance on managing health and safety obligations as appropriate, with a particular focus on platform-based organisations in the rideshare and food delivery sectors. As part of this work, the committee considers that the Australian Government should support organisations to strengthen safety measures, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and measures for reporting safety risks.

Recommendation 46

8.127

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options to further clarify responsibility for workplace health and safety in the gig economy, with a particular focus on persons who drive or ride for work purposes. As part of this process, the committee considers that the Australian Government should explore the feasibility of adopting chain of responsibility arrangements for gig economy work.

Recommendation 47

9.123

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate options to expedite mandatory fitment of proven safety features to heavy vehicles. Autonomous emergency braking and conspicuity markings should remain a key focus in the short term.

Recommendation 48

9.124

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments to investigate options to incentivise the purchase of newer, safer heavy vehicles and increase their affordability.

Recommendation 49

9.129

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state, territory, and local governments, and with other stakeholders such as the National Truck Accident Research Centre, to improve the collection of data on crashes involving heavy vehicles. The committee considers that this should involve the development of mechanisms to collect data on:

the ‘ancillary’ heavy vehicle sector;

the driver at fault in crashes, if this can be established;

crashes that do not involve fatal or serious injury, and may not involve very significant amounts of financial damage; and

vehicle type, age, and relevant safety features.

Recommendation 50

9.132

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to support development and implementation of safety management systems by heavy vehicle operators, including through widespread adoption of the NHVR’s 9 Step SMS Roadmap.

Recommendation 51

9.145

The committee recommends that the Australian Government investigate opportunities to make funding for infrastructure conditional on plans to install appropriately designed heavy vehicle rest areas.

Recommendation 52

9.146

The committee recommends that the Australian Government commission an audit of existing rest areas in partnership with the heavy vehicle industry and recreational sector to identify gaps in the provision of quality facilities to guide future infrastructure investment decisions across all levels of government.

Recommendation 53

9.147

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state, territory and local governments, and the private sector, to investigate opportunities to co-locate rest areas with existing facilities, underpinned by joint funding arrangements.

Recommendation 54

9.150

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and with stakeholders with engineering expertise to develop guidelines on designing rest areas which facilitate sharing between heavy and recreational vehicles without compromising the ability of heavy vehicle drivers to rest.

Recommendation 55

9.151

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments and with industry stakeholders to ensure that initiatives to increase the number and quality of rest areas consider multiple use issues.

Recommendation 56

9.156

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments across the transport and education portfolios to develop and implement targeted campaigns to promote the heavy vehicle sector as a career and as an employer of choice.

Recommendation 57

9.162

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and industry to support development and uptake of programs focused on physical and mental health in the heavy vehicle sector.

Recommendation 58

9.163

The committee recommends that the Australian Government support targeted campaigns for heavy vehicle drivers, focused on identifying the early warning signs of health issues and acting as necessary.

Recommendation 59

9.166

The committee recommends that the Australian Government develop and implement mechanisms to collect and publish reliable, accurate data on suicide in the road transport system.

Recommendation 60

10.80

The committee recommends that the Australian Government amend the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030 to include a priority area focused on improving and delivering national consistency in post-crash response and care. This should be accompanied by actions focused on:

Building the capacity of trauma services.

Increasing the availability of mental health support.

Obtaining reliable, accurate data on post-crash response, and improving data linkage efforts.

Supporting and building the capacity of first responders.

Improving the quality and timeliness of post-crash responses in regional, rural, and remote areas.

Supporting post-crash care outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities, including increasing investment in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations.

Appropriate reporting of road trauma in the media.

Recommendation 61

10.85

The committee recommends that the Australian Government work with state and territory governments, the heavy vehicle sector, and other road safety stakeholders to support national rollout of first response training for heavy vehicle drivers. The committee considers that this training should be included as an action item in the National Road Safety Strategy 2021–2030.

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List of Recommendations

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