Government Policy: The Accidental Effect on Road Safety

This paper reflects on road safety strategy and explores economic aspects which affect road safety. Contemporary road safety policies generally focus on four key issues through the Safe Systems approach. Unlike other transport effects, transport and road safety policy do not estimate future outcomes for road safety. Consequently, these perspectives do not necessarily recognise the broader issues which also influence road safety.

Macroeconomic policy issues which could influence road safety in the long term are discussed, particularly the emissions trading scheme, taxation review, automobile industry review and road pricing. It is argued that government economic policies have the potential to affect road safety, despite reductions which result from other Safe Systems road safety policy.

The participation of advocates in the development of one of the economic policies shows that there is opportunity for greater participation to improve road safety outcomes in such policies. The paper concludes that economic policy has the potential to contribute to improvements in road safety.