Northern Territory Road Safety Report Released

The Territory Opposition has described the long delayed NT Road Safety Taskforce Report Safer Road Use : A Territory Imperative as a mixed bag.

"The Report contains elements I agree with and some recommendations that will never have CLP support as long as I'm involved,” says Fay Miller, Opposition spokesperson on Transport.

"In particular the Opposition will not support the imposition of a speed limit on open sections of the Stuart Highway or the introduction of a demerit point system for traffic offences in the Northern Territory.

"Removing the open speed limit on the Stuart Highway will not tackle the problems with drink driving or the number of people who failed to put on a seat belt before they began their last journey. The statistics on these two causes of deaths on our roads are stark in nearly 50% of road fatalities alcohol was a contributing factor and more than 50% of the time people weren't wearing a seat belt.

"That's why the Opposition has announced tough measures to curb drink driving and to get everybody in the car to belt up before the journey begins.

"The Opposition are committed to a case by case analysis of the causes of road accidents and a measured response to each of the causes identified.

"I was also surprised to find a number of factual errors in the Report.

"The Report states that there are no speed limits for P-plate drivers on the open sections of the Stuart Highway, that's incorrect, a maximum 100km/ph speed limit applies to P-plate drivers in the Territory. (See report page 94 & compare with Sect 14 Traffic Regulations)

"The Report also claims that children under 12 months of age are permitted to be in cars unrestrained. That is a selective quote and it misrepresents the reality of the situation to the point that it is misleading. The circumstances in which that can occur are extremely prescriptive and are rarely if ever used. (See Traffic Regulation 5).

"Road accident statistics are best understood over an extended time period. Stats from day to day, week to week, even year to year, can quite be misleading; the long-term trend should be basis of any decision made.”

2006-11-25