The amount spent by Daniel Andrews defending his wire-rope barriers was higher than amount spent on campaigns related to drug driving, driver fatigue and vehicle safety combined.
The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Annual Report dumped by Labor in Parliament demonstrates yet again how poorly targeted and self-interested the Andrews Labor Government’s road safety priorities are.
Figures buried deep within the TAC Annual Report highlight that the government spent $2.45 million defending its flawed roll out of wire-rope barriers in 2018-19 instead of funding road safety advertising campaigns to address the most serious factors contributing to deaths on Victorian roads.
Despite speed, drink driving, and failure to wear a seatbelt being three of the most prevalent factors contributing to deaths on Victorian roads over recent years, there were no dedicated road safety campaigns specifically targeted to these issues over 2018-19.
The Andrews Labor Government’s defective approach to road safety coincides with a dramatic increase in fatalities this year with 219 lives lost in the year to date, a 34 per cent more than this time last year.
Comments attributable to Shadow Minister for Road Safety and the TAC, Gordon Rich-Phillips:
“It’s alarming that Daniel Andrews spent more advertising money defending his defective wire rope barriers than he spent on serious issues like drug-driving.”
“The Andrews Labor Government has lost the plot on road safety in a year where the road toll has increased sharply.”