Kim O’KEEFFE (Shepparton) (10:17): I rise today to speak on the final report on the inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users undertaken by the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee, of which I am the deputy chair. The committee received 302 submissions – 230 of these from individuals. The committee investigated how our road users’ behaviours changed during and post the COVID pandemic, and the impact on vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, older people, people with disabilities, people with mobility devices, delivery drivers and roadside workers, to name a few. Experts told us it was too early to definitively say with quantifying data what impact the pandemic had on road safety, but it was clear that road driver behaviour has changed. The committee heard from many Victorians who felt that behaviour on the roads was worse since the pandemic. They noticed increased driver aggression and impatience, and that drivers were inattentive and distracted and displayed risky behaviour, such as speeding, and breaking road rules, such as running red lights and using their mobile phones. A high majority of those who presented to the committee said that Victorians feel unsafe on our roads and more can be done to protect those most vulnerable.
Some of the factors highlighted that may have contributed to poor behaviour on the road following the pandemic are changed patterns in road usage, perceived lack of enforcement and less police presence, post-pandemic stress, anxiety, deterioration of driving skills and worsening road conditions. The inquiry highlighted the increased and alarming upward trend that we are experiencing in road fatalities and serious injuries. The inquiry focused on vulnerable road users, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists, who so far make up two out of five lives lost on Victorian roads. Alarmingly, two-thirds of lives lost have been on regional roads.
We learned that it is not really easy to change people’s behaviour simply by educating or urging them to be more responsible and that we need to look at enforcement and infrastructure that separates vulnerable road users from motor vehicles and guides motorists to slow down in areas with a high volume of bike riders and pedestrians. The committee recommends reviewing the location of pedestrian crossings on arterial roads to ensure there are regular crossings linked to public transport stops, activity centres and schools; increasing driver awareness of bike riders and motorcyclists while on the road; and creating a mechanism for motorcyclists, bike riders and e-scooter users to report unsafe road conditions to authorities.
As mentioned, the committee received an overwhelming number of submissions, and we are so fortunate to have had so many people share their lived experiences and valuable insights either with a submission or by attending a hearing, which contributed so greatly to the committee’s understanding, knowledge and final recommendations. These included safety organisations, research institutes, government departments, councils, peak transport bodies and organisations representing vulnerable road users as well as members representing their communities. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to those that shared their personal experiences and some tragic stories.
I was so pleased that one of the six hearings was held in Shepparton, which gave the locals an opportunity to present to the committee and to share the valuable insights and experiences from a regional perspective. I want to thank RoadSafe Goulburn Valley; Goulburn Valley Motorcycle Club; Shepparton Cycling Club; Cool Heads, which is a fantastic young driver program; Shepparton Search and Rescue; ConnectGV; and Goulburn Valley FamilyCare as well as the many schools from which we heard students and parents. Brett Lancaster OAM, an Olympic cycling gold medallist, also presented to the hearing in Shepparton, sharing his grave concerns at the rise in cycling road accidents and fatalities. Brett presented to the hearing with fellow cyclist Rhianon Norton, a champion cyclist. Rhianon highlighted the need for better road safety for cyclists. Tragically, a few weeks after the hearing Rhianon had a serious road bike accident, leaving her with serious injuries. Bringing all of these people and organisations together at the hearing really highlighted the grave road safety concerns particularly for vulnerable road users.
I also wish to highlight that of the 56 recommendations several are focused on regional Victoria. These include working with regional councils on high-speed roads and intersections to support safer road behaviours and the Transport Accident Commission running a targeted campaign for regional roads highlighting the factors contributing to fatalities, including speed, distractions and variables on regional roads. A further recommendation is to prioritise road treatments on regional roads. A priority recommendation is to create a vulnerable road user advisory group to contribute to the development of road safety interventions and place greater emphasis on the safety of vulnerable road users in future urban infrastructure design and strategies. I have highlighted only some of the recommendations in this report; all of the recommendations can be viewed in the report.
Finally, I wish to acknowledge and thank the chair of the committee the member for Bellarine and my fellow committee members for their efforts throughout the inquiry. I also wish to sincerely thank the secretariat, Kerryn, Marianna, Alyssa and Adeel, who put in a lot of work along the way, including planning for the regional sitting in Shepparton.