Region’s drivers are slowing down

The South West has slowed down, according to recent figures, with a 50 per cent drop in drivers travelling at more than 10km/h over the speed limit since 2000.

The figures were released this week by the Road Safety Commission as part of the Trends In Driver Speed Behaviours On Rural Road Network 2000 to 2018 report which also showed the South West to be among the better regions for overall speed compliance.

Industry Road Safety Alliance South West chairman Michael Hay welcomed the figures and said it was good to see the South West highlighted as one of the better performing regions.

“It is pleasing to see in general the percentage of vehicles exceeding the speed limit has overall decreased in 18 years of data collection,” he said.

“In our ever increasingly busy lifestyles the message to slow down and pay attention on what’s important now, needs to be an ongoing conversation.”

That ongoing conversation has yielded results with the figures revealing WA’s compliance rate was the highest it had been in almost 20 years.

Road Safety Commission chairman Iain Cameron also welcomed the new data and said it was evidence most drivers did the right thing.

“This is helping to save lives and reduce injuries, contributing in part to a 32 per cent reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured on WA roads over the past 10 years,” he said.

“The data in this report will be used to inform education campaigns and strategies that encourage non-compliant drivers who push the limits to slow down for their own safety, that of their passengers and other road users.”

Earlier this year the Road Safety Commission proposed a major shake up of WA’s traffic penalties including a 50 per cent hike in penalties for certain offences.

While Mr Hay acknowledged that the policing of speed was inevitable and had its place in the community, the real key to road safety was education.

“As an alliance we advocate for education, safer speeds, safer roads and roadside treatments and safer vehicles,” he said.