In the latest road safety funding boost, Minister for Roads and Ports, Tim Pallas, today announced $2.1 million for road safety improvements on the Cobden-Warrnambool Road south west of Cobden.
Mr Pallas said the funding will be used to:
• Install safety barriers along a 1.3km length
• Shoulder sealing over a 10km section
• ‘wake-up’ outer edgeline marking
• Removal of some roadside hazards.
The project is part of the Bracks Government’s $172.3 million arrive alive! Safer Roads Program – funded by the TAC and is central to the Government’s ongoing commitment to improving safety and conditions for road users across Victoria.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney, welcomed the funding indicating that the State Government recognises the need for increased safety on rural roads,
“People living in rural and regional Victoria often travel substantial distances to and from work and this funding will make these roads a lot safer,
“The funding will also increase productivity for industries using the roads,” she said.
Mr Pallas said ‘run off road’ crashes, where a motorist loses control of their vehicle and collides with roadside objects, represent a substantial proportion of the road toll, particularly in rural areas.
“They are the silent killers on our regional roads, with 48 per cent of fatal, and 46 per cent of serious injury, crashes involving vehicles coming off the road in the past five years.
The arrive alive! Safer Roads Infrastructure Program is a Victorian Government initiative funded by the Transport Accident Commission to reduce Victoria’s road toll.
The program targets locations across Victoria with an emphasis on rural and outer metropolitan areas where there is a disproportionately higher rate of serious injury and fatality crashes.
These works are part of a $597 million commitment from the State Government to improve road safety infrastructure made in the Meeting Our Transport Challenges Plan.
Mr Pallas said the Bracks Government’s arrive alive! road safety strategy was working.
“Victoria has made significant gains in road safety since the strategy was launched in 2002,” he said.
“We have recorded the four lowest road tolls over the past four years, treated over 1500 accident blackspots and invested more than half a billion dollars on road safety specific infrastructure improvements.
“Victoria leads the way in Australia in reducing road trauma and we want to continue to improve road safety for all Victorians.”