The Towards Zero Strategy identifies 13 key directions that guide the Government’s road safety efforts. The key directions are based on the best-practice Safe System approach to road safety and were informed by extensive community engagement, stakeholder consultations, and independent research and modelling.
Delivery of the Towards Zero Strategy is supported by three action plans outlining major initiatives to be undertaken over the ten year period. The Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 (Action Plan) represents a road safety investment of over $75 million, including a $50 million road safety infrastructure improvement program.
The programs and initiatives detailed in the Action Plan are designed to target our highest risk road safety areas, deliberately focusing on those measures that will gain the greatest reductions in serious injuries and fatalities.
The priority road safety areas during the 2020-2024 period are:
Initiatives and programs under the Action Plan are funded from the Road Safety Levy and a contribution from the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB). The Road Safety Levy is collected from vehicle registrations and can only be expended for the purposes of road safety.
Driving the Towards Zero Strategy is the long-term vision of a Tasmania where no one is seriously injured or killed as the result of a crash on our roads.
While casualties per head of population and per registered vehicle continue to fall as more and more people use the roads, the total number of casualties has plateaued.
Currently, around 314 people are seriously injured or killed on Tasmanian roads every year. This is totally unacceptable.
In the short term, our target is to reduce serious injuries and fatalities to fewer than 200 by 2026.
The road safety measures outlined in the Action Plan are underpinned by the 13 key directions identified in the Towards Zero Strategy. The aim of these measures is to get Tasmania on track to achieving our ambitious targets.
Annual number of serious casualties (five year averages) in Tasmania since 1999 and our future targets.
Annual number of serious casualties (five year averages) in Tasmania since 1999 and our future targets
For more information visit: www.towardszero.tas.gov.au.