Page 1869 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
that we are powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, we need to deal with our transport. Transport represents over 60 per cent of our carbon emissions. Active travel is the original zero emissions travel.
The ACT government understands this really well. In 2015, the government released a report called Building an integrated transport network. The active travel framework highlighted targets for participation and barriers to active travel. Our 2026 targets included seven per cent of trips to work by walking, seven per cent by cycling and 16 per cent by public transport. They are great targets, but we are not yet meeting them. There is so much more that we can do to get there.
When Canberrans were asked what would encourage them to start riding, the most common answer was better off-road cycle paths, and the second most common answer was improved driver awareness of bicycle safety and road sharing. A culture of care on our roads is essential if we want more people using active travel. We have to make it fun and convenient. We also have to make it safe.
I have been working on this problem in different capacities for two decades. Since getting elected, I have been listening to regular active travellers and victims of collisions. I have consulted with Pedal Power, the Motorcycle Riders Association, the Australian Federal Police Association and various other community stakeholders. It has shown us a lot of opportunities to improve active travel and road safety, and this is merely one of the first steps.
Today I am tabling an amendment to our road laws that creates a proper penalty when a negligent driver harms a vulnerable road user. This amendment is an important step. It shows that our road rules should take people as they find them and not treat all road users as if they were the same. There is a hierarchy of road users. Motorists have a duty to look after those who are more vulnerable when we all share the road.
This amendment fits a body of work that already recognises vulnerable road users. Section 7A of our existing law defines and recognises vulnerable road users. We already have increased penalties for speeding in a school zone because we know that children on their way to school are more vulnerable and they need special protection.
My proposed new offence is a middle ground between some of the existing offences. We already have negligent driving but the penalty is low—a maximum of 20 penalty units or that famous $393 fine. That might be acceptable when no-one is hurt, but when someone has been seriously injured it falls short.
We also have high-level offences where negligent driving causes grievous bodily harm or death. These come with serious penalties and they are not traffic infringements, and nor should they be. Fortunately, most accidents fall short of grievous bodily harm or death, but that does not mean most accidents should be accepted. We can and must do better. We must create a culture of care on our roads.
I am proposing a new offence that lies somewhere between these two points. It recognises that driving negligently and harming somebody is more serious than a moment of carelessness that harms no-one. This new offence comes with a maximum
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video