How to save lives
 

Lives lost

During the past ten years, 17,268 people were killed and some 220,000 were admitted to hospital with serious injuries as a result of road crashes. This equates to nearly 5 deaths and more than 60 serious injuries every day. The cost to the community is estimated at $17 billion per annum and includes costs associated with long-term care, loss of labour in the household and workplace and a reduced quality of life.

Roads are more important than most people think

By comparison with driver behaviour and vehicle safety, which are well understood, motorists’ concept of a safe road is barely developed. Motorists tend to think in terms of surface condition, pot holes and upkeep, and certainly not in terms of other features of a road, such as duplication (where opposing traffic flows are separated), sealed shoulders (as distinct from gravel shoulders) or trees too close to the road, all of which are shown by research to affect the safety of a road.

Research underpinning Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy shows that nearly half of Australia's targeted improvement in road trauma can be achieved by upgrading Australia’s roads.

Roads are more important in road safety than most people think.

Road design and safety

There are many design elements of a road which influence the likelihood of crashes occurring and the severity of those crashes that do occur.

As a simple example, the risk of being involved in a crash on a road with narrow lanes (less than 2.8m wide) is 50 per cent higher than on a road with wide lanes (greater than 3.6m wide). That is, other things being equal, a road with wide lanes is safer—and therefore receives a better score—than a road with narrow lanes. Narrow lanes leave little room for error.

Proven ways to save lives

Here are some common problems and solutions available to road engineers to make our roads safer and help save lives.

	Undivided Roads This is a major hazard on our roads. It is responsible for a large proportion of fatalities and injuries.
	Solution By dividing all our major roads and highways with safety barriers, the number of head-on collisions and resulting fatalities would fall to almost zero.

	Poor Road Shoulders Broken or narrow edges of roads and shoulders can lead to a loss of control, vehicle roll-over and crashes.
	Solution Resurfacing roads and ensuring road shoulders are sealed can make a real difference to a driver's ability to control their vehicles. Potentially up to 60% of common crashes could be avoided if these measures were taken.

	No Overtaking Lane In spite of high traffic volumes on our major roads and highways, many stretches of road do not have regular overtaking lanes.
	Solution Potentially, up to 50% of crashes that occurred while overtaking could be avoided if overtaking lanes were to be added.

	Narrow or aged bridges and crossings Motorists risk their lives when traveling across bridges that are too narrow or in poor condition.  Country motorists are especially at risk when crossings are not adequate
	Solution There are significant potential reductions in crashes that would occur with the widening or replacement of bridges and crossings.

© Copyright Australian Automobile Association 2007