ROAD SAFETY

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about television ads relating to creeping over the speed limit.

Leave granted.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: That is about the most productive thing you have done in parliament since I have been here. South Australian television audiences are currently being warned not to become creepers.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: If members opposite are not interested in road safety and saving lives, some people on this side are, so I would prefer if you could keep them quiet.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Are we all ready again?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: South Australian television audiences are currently being warned not to become creepers. This unusual message is being teamed with an image of a driver whose facial expression changes while he or she is driving. Will the Minister for Road Safety please explain the purpose of these ads and what role they will play in getting the road—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: Can I finish my question? Will the Minister for Road Safety please explain the purpose of these ads and what role they will play in getting the road safety message across to South Australians?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Gambling, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:14): Members opposite certainly are very unsettled and quite rude today.

The Hon. G.E. Gago: They're not interested.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: And not interested, either.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! The minister has the call.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Mr President, I just heard something quite derogatory said about my face by someone opposite. On Sunday 12 October 2008, I launched the state government's latest road safety campaign. The aim of this clever campaign is to warn drivers to stop creeping over the speed limit. Market research conducted by the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) identified a public perception that driving a bit over the speed limit is acceptable and has few consequences. However, this is a complete misconception. Creeping just a bit over the speed limit has enormous human and social costs.

Speeding is a major cause of death and injury in our state, and it is estimated to be a factor in up to 50 per cent of crashes. Using dollar figures, road crashes cost South Australians more than $3.2 million a day. However, the pain and suffering of road crash victims is, of course, immeasurable. The new Creepers campaign targets speeding amongst all drivers. The campaign is statewide and features locally filmed television ads, bus and radio advertising, bus shelters, regional banners and 30 second internet ads. Put simply, the Creepers concept highlights that creeping is potentially an accident waiting to happen.

Statistics from the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR) have shown that speed reduction offers the greatest potential to reduce road trauma. In 2003, speed limits were reduced from 110 km/h to 100 km/h on 1,100 kilometres of rural arterial roads in South Australia. The speed reduction resulted in a 20 per cent reduction in casualty crashes. This reflected international research that small reductions in speed generate large reductions in road casualties.

While people accept that drinking and driving do not mix, that you should wear a seatbelt, and that you should not speed excessively, of course, there are some who do not believe that speeding is a contributor to road trauma and choose to drive several kilometres over the posted limit. Obviously, the benefits of reducing the speed limit are felt not only by those who travel on the roads but also by our emergency service workers and the police who are called out too often to scenes of personal tragedy.

This government is committed to reaching the road safety target in South Australia's Strategic Plan, and highlighting the dangers of speeding is just one of the many ways that the government is getting its road safety message across. I urge all South Australians to take note of the Creepers campaign and to take very careful note of their speedometers.