Road Safety Commission says ‘deadly cocktail’ the focus for dangerous South West roads amid RAC speed trial

WA’s Road Safety Commissioner has stopped short of endorsing the RAC’s proposed speed limit cuts to hundreds of Capes roadways, noting there’s more than one way to reduce road fatalities. Residents in the City of Busselton and Augusta-Margaret River Shire were alarmed the RAC had partnered with local governments for a year-long trial of speed cuts affecting up to 1800 roads. With consultation closing earlier this week, the final decision would be made after the two councils reviewed submissions before their December meetings. The Times understands the feedback found local motorists generally supported moves to enshrine 40km/h speed limits in built-up areas but 110km/h zones across the region were valued. Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner this week said although there was no doubt speed was a killer, a combination of other factors such as inattention, fatigue and lack of seatbelts made for “a deadly cocktail”. “Speed management is a complex issue and there are different ways of achieving this outcome,” he said. “Reducing posted speed limits is only one option so long as enough people comply with the changes. Getting more people to drive at or under the existing speed limit more often is another option.” The Commissioner’s remarks echoed feedback from community groups garnered by the Times last week in which locals privately said it was poor driver attitude which led to speeding issues rather than speed alone. An RAC spokesperson said bringing consistency to the region’s speed zones was important given population growth and the Capes region having some of the worst roads for injuries and fatalities in regional WA. “The proposed Safer Speeds Trial would measure the extent lower speed limits help save lives and prevent serious injuries on local roads,” external relations general manager Will Golsby said. The peak driving body pointed back to the commission’s data to show speed was the biggest factor in accidents. “There is strong evidence from Australia and around the world that speed limit reductions typically lead to a substantial decrease in road deaths and serious injuries,” Mr Golsby said. “The South West region has experienced significant population growth and continues to be a popular destination to visit, which means there are more people using city and shire roads than ever before.” But the trial mostly targeted short stretches of roadway, with only three routes under review longer than 10km, the RAC said. Mr Warner said a combination of enforcement, education and community engagement were the “key levers” to cut the road toll. The commission’s own “hard-hitting advertising campaign” was designed to drive home the message of personal responsibility among a tendency for people to “justify or rationalise speeding sometimes,” Mr Warner said. Country statistics showed the majority of crashes were single vehicles losing control, with figures showing about 70 per cent of drivers complied with posted limits. Increasing compliance to 80 per cent or above would make a big difference, the Commissioner said.