When releasing the Australian Trucking Association’s (ATA) submission in response to the Government’s Safe Rates Directions Paper; Chief Executive of the Australian Trucking Association (ATA), Stuart St Clair commented that the Australian Government should compare the safety benefits and costs of safe rates against other road safety measures before going ahead with the concept.
The Safe Rates Directions Paper paper examines three models for regulating payment rates in the industry in a bid to further improve truck safety. but the ATA believes more needs to be investigated in order to determine if this is a viable solution.
“The directions paper asserts that a great deal of research has already been done in this field, but none of it compares the effectiveness of safe rates as a safety measure against other road safety measures,” Mr St Clair said.
“We know, for example, that every dollar spent on building divided roads generates about five dollars in safety benefits. Every dollar spent on sealing rural shoulders generates up to forty dollars in safety benefits. Speed cameras have a benefit cost ratio of twelve to one.
“To get the best value for the community’s safety dollars, the Government will need to evaluate the safe rates models against these proven ways of improving road safety.”