The safety of the nation’s highways is unacceptable and target investment will save lives, says a report released by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
“Australians deserve safer roads and our analysis shows with targeted investment, lives will be saved,” says Andrew McKellar, AAA executive director.
“Investing in safer roads must be a top priority this federal election because frankly, Australians deserve better.”
The AusRAP Star Rating Report has assessed almost 22,000 kilometres of highways and provides a ‘star rating’ on the condition of the various sections of the road network, with 1-star being the least safe and 5-star being the safest.
“It is concerning that a developed nation still has almost 40% of the highway only recording a safety rating of 1 or 2 stars,” he says.
National Highway Network
Star Rating Percentage
5-Star 0%
4-Star 8%
3-Star 53%
2-Star 30%
1-Star 9%
A key aspect of the report is the Safer Roads Investment Plan which provides detail about the number of lives and serious injuries that could be saved through targeted investment to upgrade the highways.
“An investment of $4.7 billion would save 36,000 lives and serious injuries on our highways over a 20-year period,” says McKellar.
The AAA and constituent clubs launched the Demand Better Roads campaign in April to make safety and transport infrastructure a major issue for the upcoming election – read the full AusRAP Star Rating Report at www.demandbetterroads.com.au
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