Speed limit drop proposed for Australia's largest state
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Lower speed limits on around 1800 roads in Western Australia have been proposed in an effort to reduce a rising road toll.
A plan to introduce lower speed limits across roads in Western Australia will be voted on in December after the state's road toll reached its highest in almost a decade.
The WA Today newspaper reports the Safer Speeds Trial proposes lower speed limits on roads in the Shire of Augusta Margaret River and the City of Busselton, starting in early 2025 for a three-year period.
The trial is a partnership between the two councils and the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), with a public consultation period to close at 5:00pm Western Australia (WA) time today, 4 November 2024.
Western Australia has recorded 180 road deaths in the past 12 months – its highest five-year rolling average since 2016 – with 90 of those fatalities on regional roads.
The trial would see regional roads currently signposted from 80km/h to 110km/h reduced to 70km/h or 80km/h.
In an opinion piece in WA Today on the plan, RAC president Allan Blagaich said: "Speed is the single element of road safety that gives us a chance to save as many lives as possible and achieve our road safety targets within existing timeframes and budgets."
Speed limits on the outskirts of towns – dubbed 'peri-urban places' – are subject to the biggest change, with roads currently signposted between 70km/h and 100km/h to be dropped to 60km/h.
The plan will also lower speed limits on major urban roads by 10km/h to between 50km/h and 60km/h, while town centres and areas with high pedestrian activity will be dropped from 50km/h to 40km/h.
The RAC has campaigned with the Western Australia state government to upgrade regional roads to help reduce trauma.
"The government recently allocated an initial $20 million towards expanding out landmark regional road safety program to local government roads and is committed to expanding the program further," a spokesperson told WA Today.
While active on safety, the state government has not committed to lowering speed limits across Western Australia's entire regional road network.
"As with any changes to road rules, they must be practical, enforceable, be backed by hard evidence and not have any adverse unintended consequences."
Across the country, 1288 deaths were recorded on Australian roads from January to September 2024 inclusive – according to the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) – an increase of 68 compared to the same period in 2023.
The AAA monitors the National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) target of a 50 per cent reduction in the number of deaths on Australian roads by 2030 – with every state and territory falling short so far in 2024.
It issued a stark warning in July 2024 after the deadliest period on Australian roads in more than a decade.
At the end of September 2024, Western Australia's 180 deaths in the past twelve months is 12 higher than at the same point in 2023.
The state with the highest increase has been New South Wales, with 343 fatalities – 21 more than the previous year.
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