SA’s road to recovery
South Australians have come together and worked hard to keep the state moving during the COVID-19 pandemic, however there are more challenges ahead as we transition towards recovery.
The State Election is fast approaching, and soon South Australians will be stepping into polling booths and making their vote count.
RAA’s playing its part, advocating for more than 780,000 South Australians and lobbying all parties for critical improvements in infrastructure, road safety and education, and regional tourism.
“South Australia is in an enviable position on a lot of fronts, but there are still areas we can improve,” says RAA General Manager Community and Corporate Affairs Emily Perry.
“We need to take action now so we can remain a vibrant sustainable and prosperous place to live for many years to come.
RAA is working with all political parties to get positive outcomes for both our members and the community.”
These six policy actions will help South Australia achieve that long-term success.
1. Create safer road users
People aged 16 to 24 have accounted for 21% of the fatalities on South Australian roads over the past two years.
That’s staggering considering they only make up 13% of the state’s population. The stats surrounding the safety of our smallest vehicle passengers is also concerning, with about 88%of child restraints being fitted incorrectly.
RAA believes road safety education, along with improvements to infrastructure, can help reduce fatalities on South Australian roads.
RAA runs several community education programs to improve road safety, including Street Smart High and Years Ahead.
It also supports the State Government’s draft SA Road Safety Strategy to 2031.
However, to complement the strategy, RAA would like the government to promote and recognise the benefits of greater professional driving instruction through driving lessons.
It would also like the government to establish a child restraint fitting network and reform child restraint legislation.
2. Create safer and more accessible road networks
RAA’s 2021 Risky Roads survey revealed that the community is concerned about SA’s road network, with RAA receiving more than 2000 nominations.
Main South Rd at Aldinga and Horrocks Hwy to the state’s Mid North featured heavily in the top 10 riskiest roads.
Meanwhile, the junction at Curtis Rd and Heaslip Rd at Angle Vale received the title of SA’s riskiest intersection.
RAA takes into consideration the public’s concerns about infrastructure problems. That’s why RAA is recommending the State Government prioritises several projects to improve road safety.
This includes:
- committing to the staged duplication of the Augusta, Sturt and Dukes highways and the reduction of heavy vehicle traffic on the South Eastern Fwy
- establishing a road maintenance fund with a minimum value of $600 million
- upgrading metropolitan roads to reduce congestion, and
- repairing regional roads like Victor Harbor Rd and Main Rd at McLaren Vale.
