National Road Safety Week
John BERGER (Southern Metropolitan) (10:02): This week is National Road Safety Week. It is an annual event which is aimed at raising awareness about road safety. As you know, I have nearly 40 years experience in the road transport sector. That includes serving time as the national president and branch secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union. I have seen firsthand some of the horrific accidents that have occurred on our roads, from heavy vehicles to commuter traffic. That is why the work of the Transport Accident Commission, the TAC, is so important to injured drivers. Did you know that for every 1 kilometre per hour average increase when you travel on the road, there is a 4 per cent increase in the fatal crash risk and a 3 per cent increased risk of having a serious crash? And the risk of death for pedestrians hit by a car rises 4.5 per cent each time you increase from 50 kilometres an hour to 65 kilometres an hour. We also know that driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is a risk, and it is not a small one. That is why the work of the Transport Accident Commission, in partnership with the Allan Labor government and the Department of Transport and Planning, to improve road safety in my community of Southern Metro is important. There is more work to be done, but because of the work of the TAC, we are getting there.