Queensland Government to Share Road Safety Data with Federal Government, Motoring Groups Applaud Transparency
Queensland Government to Share Road Safety Data with Federal Government, Motoring Groups Applaud Transparency
Is increased transparency the key to reducing road accidents and improving safety on our highways?
In a bid for greater transparency, the Queensland Government has announced plans to share data on car crashes, traffic policing, and road conditions with the Federal Government. This move has been praised by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and other motoring groups, who have long been advocating for increased access to this information. With negotiations for the next National Partnership Agreement underway, the AAA hopes that other states will follow suit, making this the most significant safety reform in years.
The Queensland Government has made a commitment to share data on car crashes, traffic policing, and road conditions with the Federal Government, in a move towards greater transparency and improved road safety policies.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish expressed his enthusiasm for providing the information to anyone who can benefit from it. The Department of Transport and Main Roads will make the data available to the Federal Government as well as other parties.
The Australian Automobile Association (AAA), the peak body for motoring groups in Australia, has been urging the Australian Government to require states to share this information. To incentivize compliance, the AAA suggests making the $10 billion in road grants contingent on the supply of road safety data.
AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley believes that making road safety data public is crucial in developing more effective road safety policies. He commended the Queensland Government for its commonsense approach and hopes that other states will follow suit, calling it the most important safety reform in decades.
The AAA’s campaign, called Data Saves Lives, has gained support from motoring clubs, as well as federal MPs from various political parties. However, only one federal Labor MP has expressed support for the call for increased transparency.
Shadow transport minister Catherine King had previously pledged to improve the quality and timeliness of road safety data if a Labor Government were to be elected. Labor also aimed to obtain better-quality data from states and territories in exchange for funding road projects.
The AAA’s call for increased transparency was partly motivated by a report on the Bruce Highway, which highlighted that 45% of Queensland’s main highway has a safety rating of two stars or less out of five.
In 2020, the national road death toll increased by 7.3%, with New South Wales and Victoria experiencing significant increases. However, Queensland saw a decline of 6.7% in road deaths.
- Queensland Government to share road safety data with Federal Government
- Motoring groups support the move for greater transparency
- Australian Automobile Association urges other states to do the same
- Next National Partnership Agreement negotiations ongoing
The Queensland Government’s decision to share road safety data with the Federal Government is a positive step towards greater transparency and enhanced road safety policies. The support of motoring groups and the AAA’s campaign for increased access to this data are commendable. As negotiations for the next National Partnership Agreement continue, it is hoped that other states will join Queensland in prioritizing road safety through data sharing.
