The Albanian government has announced it will require states and territories to provide previously withheld road safety data if they want to receive road funding.
For the first time, it states that “we will attempt to include in this agreement negotiated with the states a provision that creates a requirement for the provision of a nationally uniform data set.”
The government is finalizing its next five-year road funding deal with states and territories – the National Partnership Agreement for Surface Transport Infrastructure Projects – which is due to come into force on July 1, 2024.
Next week’s federal budget will include a $21 million investment in the National Road Safety Data Hub, with the aim of providing harmonized data from states and territories that can be “used effectively by everyone”.
It says this hub will allow it to identify where road safety funding can best be deployed, which is particularly important as the number of road deaths in the country has continued to rise.
“We are increasing investment in transport infrastructure because we know that better roads increase efficiency, productivity and safety,” said Catherine King, Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
“Addressing the lack of consistent road safety data will complement the work we have already done since coming into government to improve road safety.”
The data collected by state and territory governments includes detailed information not only on accidents, but also on road conditions and traffic policing.
The announcement is a victory for stakeholders such as the Australian Automobile Association (AAA), which has consistently called on states and territories to share this road safety data with the federal government.
The peak body for motoring associations in Australia described the government’s decision as “the most significant national road safety reform in decades”.
“With more than 100 people being killed on Australian roads every month and tolls rising, we need data on the causes of accidents, the condition of roads and the effectiveness of traffic policing to better understand what is going wrong.” said AAA CEO Michael Bradley.
“This reform will also clip the wings of politicians who are tempted to invest scarce public funds in road projects to win votes in marginalized communities, rather than in projects that can save lives.”
The AAA is running a campaign called “Data Saves Lives” calling for this data transparency. The campaign was supported by all Coalition federal MPs, the Greens and Teals, and independents – but only by one Labor MP, Dr. Mike Freelander.
So far only Queensland has agreed to share all of its road data with the federal government.
The Australian government provides $10 billion in road grants to states and territories every year.
Last year, the number of road deaths in the country rose by 7.3 percent to 1,266.
Tolls in New South Wales rose by 24 percent, in Victoria by 22.5 percent and in South Australia by a remarkable 64.8 percent
However, road fatalities fell in Queensland, Western Australia, Tasmania, the ACT and the Northern Territory.
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