The 2014 ACRS Submission to the Australian Road Safety Community informs all stakeholders, including the general public, of the opportunities that are available to address the serious issue of road deaths and injuries in Australia. The causes and consequences of road trauma severely impact the productivity of Australia as a nation, as well as impacting on our international reputation, specifically as road safety leaders. The impact of road trauma is felt across all federal departments, and exists regardless of which party makes up the majority in Parliament. Therefore a united effort is required to adequately address this serious issue, arguably one of the highest ranking public health issues we have in Australia today.
‘Political will is needed at the highest level of government to ensure appropriate road safety legislation and the stringent enforcement of laws by which we all need to abide,’ says World Health Organization Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. ‘If this cannot be ensured, families and communities will continue to grieve, and health systems will continue to bear the brunt of injury and disability due to road traffic crashes.’
A comprehensive report informing all stakeholders, including the general public, of the opportunities that are available to address the serious issue of road deaths and injuries in Australia. It is now apparent that Australia’s performance in generating road death and injury reductions has not kept pace with world’s best standards. As detailed in the body of this report, Australia’s performance has not improved to the same degree as many Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries since the year 2000. Australia’s ranking has therefore been slipping, and we need to commit to measuring our achievements on a global scale if we are to make the progress that our society deserves.