Corporate initiatives to improve road safety and the associated productivity and environmental benefits

The number of deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads has fallen significantly over the past 30 years. This reduction has largely been attributed to changes in behaviour resulting from community education, government enforcement and regulation, as well as improvements in vehicle standards and road upgrades. Work-related road crashes in Australia account about half of all occupational fatalities and 15 per cent of national road deaths. Decisions taken by industry improve road safety both by changes to their own operations and by influencing the behaviour of others. This paper identifies actions that have been taken by individual company or group of companies (in an industry sector or along a supply chain) and their impact on safety and productivity and the environment through a case study approach. The case studies demonstrate that companies which are implementing road safety initiatives do not perceive this as a cost but as good business.