Crash Treatment Program Is Effective

The program reduced the frequency and severity of all run-off-road crashes by 35 per cent and reduced run-off-road killed and serious injury crashes by 26 per cent after safety treatments were installed.

Single vehicle run-off-road crashes accounted for almost 60 per cent of all road deaths and serious injuries in regional and remote Western Australia between 2008 and 2012. To combat this, we initiated a Rural Run-off-Road Crash Program.

Funding for the program was obtained through the Road Trauma Trust Account and between 2012 and 2015 we successfully delivered road safety treatments to 984 kilometres of the rural State Road Network.

Road safety treatments delivered to reduce run-off-road crashes include installing audible edge lines that create noise and vibrate to alert inattentive road users. In addition, shoulder widening and sealing of gravel shoulders create an opportunity for drivers to recover safely in situations where the vehicle has left the road.

To determine the program’s safety benefits and cost effectiveness in terms of savings to the community we had an independent review of the program conducted by the Curtin–Monash Accident Research Centre. The review found the frequency and severity of all run-off-road crashes was reduced by just over 35 per cent after the safety treatments were installed. We also found that there was a reduction of almost 26 per cent in run-off-road killed and serious injury crashes.

The independent research established that the net present-value return for the program was estimated at just over $100 million, indicating there were cost savings to the community of $2.10 for each $1 invested. Review results are highly encouraging, demonstrating program effectiveness.