RACV welcomes Victorian Government release of road safety ratings to help save lives

RACV has welcomed the Victorian Government’s release of the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) road safety star ratings, which provide an evidence-based assessment on the health of the state’s road network.

AusRAP is a globally recognised risk-rating system designed by the International Road Assessment Program (iRAP). Used in about 130 countries, the iRAP protocols help road authorities identify safety upgrades that will reduce road deaths and injuries. AusRAP ratings show where the risk of fatal or serious injury is greatest across the road network.

AusRAP ratings are calculated using a range of risk factors and information, such as average daily traffic; speed limit; number of lanes in each direction; lane width; shoulder width; presence or absence of roadside barriers and audio tactile line markings (rumble strips); gradient and curvature; quality of line-markings; skid resistance; and provisions for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. This information can be overlaid with crash data to understand how infrastructure contributes to crashes and crash outcomes, enabling road authorities to identify potential road works that will reduce risk of crashes and prioritise corrective investment.

The data, now available via an interactive online map, covers major arterial and highway networks  in metropolitan and regional Victoria, giving motorists greater insight into the safety of the roads they drive on.

RACV Head of Policy James Williams said the release of AusRAP ratings was an important step towards improving road safety and reducing the risk of serious injury and fatalities on Victorian roads.

“We know that some roads are safer than others, and these star ratings give us the evidence to prove it,” Mr Williams said.

“Each additional star rating halves the risk of deaths or serious injuries. Upgrading a road from two stars to three stars halves the number of serious crashes likely to occur.

“We know that there are limited funds for road upgrades, and AusRAP provides governments with the data to be more targeted and to make decisions from a safety-first perspective.” RACV supports upgrading all major roads to a minimum three-star AusRAP safety rating, with all new roads designed and built to at least four stars.

“If we can lift the safety rating of our road network, we can make a real difference to the number and severity of crashes,” Mr Williams said.

“While improved driver behaviour and vehicle safety technologies are crucial, we will not reach our Towards Zero targets without investing in safer roads.”

RACV encourages all Victorians to explore the new AusRAP star ratings map to better understand the safety of the roads they use and to support continued investment in safer road infrastructure.