The Victorian Government has announced it will increase funding to improve the state’s highest risk roads and intersections to $1 billion over the next 10 years.

Premier Ted Baillieu said that the funding increase forms part of the State’s new 10-year strategy to drive the next decade of road safety in the state.

The strategy includes a four-year plan that outlines priority actions for government across 14 key areas.

“This plan will reinvigorate efforts to reduce the road toll through bold new measures to cement Victoria’s position as a leader in road safety,” Mr Baillieu said.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services Peter Ryan said the 10-year strategy set an ambitious target to reduce death and serious injuries by more than 30 per cent.

“Meeting this target will bring the annual road toll to less than 200, saving about 80 lives a year,” Mr Ryan said.

“The Victorian Government is committed to involving the community in helping to frame the road safety strategy.

The strategy will see the State Government adopt new enforcement, education and engineering measures to cut the road toll, including:

  • Drink driving – expansion of the use of alcohol interlocks to the vehicles of convicted drink drivers;
  • Drug driving – a new offence with a tough penalty for driving under the combined influence of alcohol and illicit drugs;
  • Speeding – encouraging people to use technologies that alert drivers when speeding;
  • Distraction – a major new campaign to educate people on the dangers of driving while distracted and tougher penalties for drivers detected using a mobile phone while driving;
  • Pedestrians and cyclists – review of the use of 40km/h zones where the risk of pedestrian or cyclist crashes is high and a new ‘black area’ program to provide safer infrastructure where clusters of pedestrian and cyclist crashes occur;
  • Country road users – improvement of safety at Victoria’s regional level crossings and the use of the Motorcycle Blackspot Program on popular touring routes;
  • Young drivers – extension of the Fit to Drive program to all Victorian schools and a ban on the use of mobile phones by all P-plate drivers;
  • Older road users – simplification of Victoria’s roads environment and improvement of signage;
  • Motorcyclists – introduction of a graduated licensing system for motorcyclists;
  • Unlicensed drivers – introduction of requirements for all Victorian drivers and riders to carry their licence when on the road;
  • Trucks – trial of fatigue detection technology for truck drivers and introduction of new penalties for tailgating;
  • Vehicle safety – trial of in-vehicle warning devices to alert drivers to approaching hazards such as trains approaching level crossings.

State Assistant Treasurer Gordon Rich-Phillips said that the State Government would place new emphasis on severe injuries with the aim of reducing the number of serious injuries on the road from 5,500 to fewer than 3,850.

The full strategy can be found here