Drop five and save lives in the City of Stirling: Community participation in road safety

Community participation is an integral part of a comprehensive approach to road safety, however it is challenging to foster.

The City of Stirling in Western Australia has taken up this challenge to engage meaningful participation from residents in road safety.

The City was the first local government in Western Australia to employ a Road Safety Officer whose sole responsibility is road safety issues, resulting in the establishment of a Road Safety Advisory Committee. The Committee has started implementing its first project – Drop Five and Save Lives in the City of Stirling with the objective of fostering community participation in strategies that encourage motorists to reduce travel speeds.

This paper will examine research into the barriers to facilitating community participation, using the establishment of the Road Safety Advisory Committee and the management of the Drop Five and Save Lives project as practical examples of strategies to address these.