Shadow Minister for Road Safety, Hon Julie Freeman MLC, is once again calling for a greater visible police presence on Western Australian roads as the State’s road toll reaches 135 lives lost this year.
Ms Freeman said Western Australians, particularly those living and travelling in regional areas, were consistently calling for more police patrols and stronger frontline enforcement.
“People want to see police out on our roads because a visible police presence is one of the strongest deterrents to dangerous driving,” Ms Freeman said.
“Cameras have a role to play, but they cannot pull over a dangerous driver, conduct a breath or drug test, or take an unsafe vehicle off the road.
“Police can identify dangerous behaviour and deliver an immediate consequence for speeding, drink or drug driving, failing to wear a seatbelt or using a mobile phone.
“When the consequence is immediate, it has a much greater impact and is far more likely to change behaviour.”
Ms Freeman said the mounting loss of life was particularly unacceptable while record revenue from the State’s new AI safety cameras was flowing into the Road Trauma Trust Account.
“Every dollar collected through these cameras is quarantined for road safety, yet the toll continues to rise,” Ms Freeman said.
“Western Australians deserve to know how this record revenue is being used and when they will see results on our roads.
“The Cook Labor Government has the money. It must invest more of the Road Trauma Trust Account into frontline enforcement, including additional traffic patrols and targeted police operations across regional WA.”
Ms Freeman said Premier Roger Cook’s attempts to defend the Government’s record by pointing to an improvement in the per-capita toll ignored how poorly Western Australia continued to compare nationally.
“At 6.3 deaths per 100,000 people, Western Australia has the second-worst road fatality rate in the nation,” Ms Freeman said.
“We are only performing better than the Northern Territory and remain well above the national rate of 4.8 deaths per 100,000.
“That is not a record the Premier should be trying to defend. It is a warning that the Government’s approach is not working.”
Ms Freeman said the continued overrepresentation of regional Western Australians in the road toll demanded urgent action.
“Once again, most fatal crashes are occurring on regional roads, despite regional Western Australians making up only a small proportion of the State’s population.
“Regional drivers travel longer distances, often on poorer roads, and can wait much longer for emergency assistance. They deserve more visible and sustained traffic policing—not an occasional blitz after the toll reaches another terrible milestone.
“One hundred and thirty-five people have already failed to make it home, so far this year. The Government must stop making excuses and start delivering the visible action Western Australians are asking for.”