PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (14:55): Will the Minister for Road Safety advise the chamber of the government's actions in raising public awareness about pedestrian safety issues?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:56): Every day of the year at least one pedestrian is injured on South Australian roads, and since 2000 about one in every nine road fatalities has been a pedestrian. The good news is that a new report by the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR) shows that there has been a recent and substantial reduction in pedestrian casualty crashes. The CASR research shows that in 1994, 1995 and 1996 there were 94 pedestrian deaths—around 18 per cent of all road deaths—and 1,386 pedestrians were treated at or admitted to hospital, which is 8 per cent of all road casualties. In comparison, in 2004, 2005 and 2006 there were 32 pedestrian deaths—around 8 per cent of all road deaths—and 1,058 recorded treatments and admissions to hospital—6 per cent of all road casualties.

These declines may be explained in part by lower urban speed limits, that is, the 50 km/h limit. However, any death or serious injury on our roads is of concern and there is never any room for complacency when it comes to road safety. As a result, the state government has launched a radio campaign urging pedestrians not to be complacent when crossing roads. The campaign highlights that pedestrian assessment of risk, coupled with good judgment, plays an important role in staying safe.

Pedestrians taking responsibility for their own safety is the key message of this campaign. They must never assume that motorists will always give way and should allow adequate time to cross a road at a safe location. It is important that pedestrians use traffic signals wherever possible and cross where oncoming traffic can be seen from both directions. Pedestrians should be aware that alcohol greatly impairs their ability to judge traffic conditions. Around 36 per cent of adult pedestrians killed and 26 per cent of those injured since 2000 had blood alcohol concentrations higher than .05.

In turn, motorists always need to look out for pedestrians and adjust speeds in high risk areas such as shopping and entertainment districts. If both motorists and pedestrians are on high alert, the odds of injury or fatality are greatly reduced. Because pedestrians are vulnerable road users, they often sustain serious injuries in road crashes. Motor Accident Commission (MAC) statistics reveal that each year about 300 personal injury claims are lodged by pedestrians involved in road crashes. This makes up about 5 per cent of total claims but equates to 11 per cent of claim costs, or around $40 million each year. This is a tragic indication that pedestrian injuries are often severe.

The current campaign targets older pedestrians aged 60 years and over, as well as intoxicated pedestrians, particularly males aged 17 to 25 years. These two pedestrian groups are most at risk of being injured or killed. The campaign focuses on metropolitan Adelaide as this is where 87 per cent of pedestrian casualties occur and where most of the pedestrian activity exists. The radio campaign is supported by bathroom posters, outdoor and print advertising.