Policing rural roads the SA experience [ABSTRACT ONLY]

By March 2003, South Australia had experienced a 37.9% increase in the number of fatalities compared to the first three months of 2002.  In rural areas, this was a staggering 52.6% increase over the corresponding period of the previous year.  With this percentage increase, the State was facing a significant and disturbing blow-out in road fatalities with rural areas accounting for by far the biggest increase.  In response, SA Police introduced the Rural Roads Saturation Program, a coordinated and intelligence led strategy for policing rural highways.  In the three months since its inception a dramatic decrease in rural road deaths has been achieved with no fatalities on rural highways being recorded.  This presentation will outline the research undertaken, the policing strategies adopted and the results achieved in this innovative and successful enforcement program.