Page 623 - Week 02 - Thursday, 16 February 2017
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reducing the number of cars in those areas. It is about giving parents the confidence to let their children walk and ride to school with their mates just like most of us walked as children. Back in the 1970s and 1980s we had over 70 per cent of kids walking and riding to school. Today, that number has dropped to around 25 per cent. Active streets is helping Canberra families change their routine and get back to walking and riding. It is helping road safety because fewer cars equal less risk. It also reduces pressure on infrastructure around the school, particularly parking.
The good news is that active streets does not stop here with this pilot. Last year Minister Fitzharris and I announced that the program will be expanded with further investment of $1 million over the four years to extend the reach of the program to other schools.
In March 2016, the previous Assembly passed new laws to support reforms to police pursuit policy in the ACT and reduce the number of police pursuits on ACT roads. As a result of these legislative reforms, police will no longer pursue drivers unless it is necessary to prevent a serious risk to public safety. Drivers who commit the offence of failing to stop for police are now subject to a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and up to $15,000 in fines, increasing to three years imprisonment and up to $45,000 for repeat offenders. Drivers can also have their licence suspended and vehicle seized. The registered owner of a vehicle which was used to commit the offence can also face serious penalties if they do not provide information to police about who was driving the vehicle when the offence was allegedly committed. These laws have provided ACT Policing with alternative avenues for identifying, apprehending and prosecuting offending drivers rather than undertaking a high risk pursuit. These laws will save lives.
In 2016 once again the ACT was central to arrangements supporting National Road Safety Week with the event organiser, Safer Australian Roads and Highways, asking the ACT government to host the national launch. The launch event included a display of empty chairs and empty tables placed at City Walk representing the 50 people killed on ACT roads over the past five years. It was a stark reminder of the impact of road trauma on our community. That morning we had a woman stop and break down in tears as she told directorate staff that one of those 50 people was a close friend of hers. There is nothing satisfying about a reaction like that. It reinforces to me the deep and distressing personal impact of road trauma and it makes me more determined and more focused on Vision Zero.
In August we introduced a new driver competency relating to vulnerable road users. A learner driver applying for a provisional licence is now required to demonstrate good observation skills, recognition and risk management and display appropriate and calm decision-making to mitigate and avoid risk and harm to any vulnerable road users.
The initiative also included the expansion of the road rules knowledge test to include a section on vulnerable road users in which the applicant must answer all questions correctly in order to pass the test. I can see this bringing about generational change, a new generation of drivers who automatically recognise that they need to look out for road users who are more vulnerable than they are; a generation of drivers who
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