Paradigm shift necessary to improve road safety

Submitted by Anonymous on Wed, 11/05/2011 - 15:20

At the launch of the UN’s Decade of Action for Road Safety WA Greens transport spokesperson Hon. Lynn MacLaren MLC called for a dramatic changes in transport planning to reduce deaths on our roads.

Lynn MacLaren said “Cars have been king of WA’s roads for too long. It’s time we radically redesigned our transport systems to ensure that public transport, cycling and walking are the dominant modes of transport in urban areas.”

The UN has set the goal “to stabilise and then reduce the forecast level of road traffic fatalities around the world” by 2020.

“Approximately 200 people are killed and around 3000 seriously injured every year on WA’s roads – a statistic that has remained virtually unchanged for the last decade. If we are to bring this figure down there needs to be a paradigm shift in transport planning that puts people before cars,” said Ms MacLaren.

Ms MacLaren applauded the WA Road Safety Council’s campaign “Enjoy the Ride” aimed at slowing drivers. “I hope many Western Australians get the message,” Ms MacLaren stated.

“The preeminence of cars in current transport planning is demonstrated by the fact that Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia is responsible for representing all road users on the Road Safety Council. There really needs to be proper representation of pedestrian and cycling advocacy groups on this council,” Ms MacLaren concluded.