Page 3690 - Week 12 - Thursday, 22 November 2007
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• the mandating of seatbelts;
• random breath tests, blood alcohol and saliva testing;
• police radar and associated enforcement and investigative technology;
• red light and speed cameras; and
• graduated licensing and innovative programs for young drivers such as the ACT’s road ready and road ready plus that focus on the overrepresentation of young people in the accident statistics.
Advances in vehicle safety, such as airbags, antilock braking systems and, now, electronic stability control, have also played and will continue to play a part, along with incremental improvements in road engineering.
As a result, in 2006 the number of road fatalities in Australia was 1,601—in other words, 2,197 fatalities or 58 per cent fewer than in 1970, and that is without taking into account the increase in Australia’s population or the even greater increase in the number of motor vehicles and kilometres travelled since then.
Last year, 13 people were killed on ACT roads. By any measure, that is the lowest fatality figure for any state or territory in Australia. However, that is no cause for satisfaction. Typically, every year as many ACT residents die in crashes interstate as die on our own roads. We cannot forget any of these people.
On the other hand, a much larger number of people are seriously injured on Australian roads and it is with rehabilitating and compensating these people, who are often forgotten when we talk about the road toll, that CTP schemes are principally concerned.
In 2006 there were approximately 7,350 on-road crashes in the ACT. The exact number is not yet confirmed. Of these, 12 were fatal crashes and a further 430 or thereabouts resulted in injury. Our statistics predict that some 1,100 third-party insurance claims will eventually be lodged with the current authorised CTP insurer, NRMA Insurance, or with the nominal defendant.
I mentioned at the beginning of the speech that the legislation underpinning our existing CTP insurance scheme goes back 60 years. Other jurisdictions have undertaken extensive reform agendas in support of changes in vehicle safety and technology and as the common law, insurance law and administration developed and modernised. The ACT has not, until today, been a part of the change process.
For some, change is uncomfortable. It could be argued, wrongly I would contend, and possibly due to vested interests in the current scheme, that it continues to serve us well.
By any measure, the ACT has the safest roads, the youngest vehicles, arguably the highest level of CTP insurance compliance, at about 98 per cent, and a lower fatality
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