Regional toll at 10-year high
The NSW regional road toll will reach a 10-year high of 245 lives lost this year. Its crept up from 176 and the government is failing to contain the increase.
The governments Road Safety Action Plan claims to prioritize reducing fatalities on regional roads, it's "Saving lives on country roads plan," aims to deliver safety upgrades to high risk roads. These programs aren't containing driver behavior which is the main reason for the blow-out in the road toll.
The NSW Minister of Transport still gives passenger vehicles a free-pass speeding past many speed cameras on country roads. After years of requests they claim, "Transport for NSW continues to monitor developments in the implementation of average speed cameras in other Australian jurisdictions and overseas."
"This is absolute garbage," claims Noel O'Brien author of the book, PenaltyRipOff. The government have had decades to research these cameras. There is overwhelming evidence that they are the best solution for long stretches of road. They're used for all vehicles in other states and are by far the fairest, measuring speed over a distance rather than just spot-speeding.
The carnage on country roads will worsen as enforcement decreases with a shortage of up to 1,500 officers. Driver behavior will continue to deteriorate, the road toll increase until government update the dated sanctions mix and speed camera policy.
Regional roads will be busier over the holiday season. Drivers will be more likely to speed, knowing there's a lower likelihood of being caught, because some cameras don't monitor speeding light vehicles.
Its vital that the government use every tool to make these roads safer. The NSW Transport minister cannot be seen to be continually ignoring the increasing number of lives lost on country roads.