Road Safety

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:10): I have a question for the Minister for Road Safety. Can the minister update the chamber about the progress South Australia has made in reducing the state's road death and serious injury toll?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (15:11): I would like to thank the Hon. Mr Ngo for his question, as distinct from the Leader of the Opposition. This Sunday is World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. On the third Sunday of each November, we remember the many millions of people around the world killed and injured on the roads, together with their families, friends and loved ones. I very much pay respect and homage to those people who have had their lives tragically cut short.

As members are well aware, not a week passes without us reading or hearing about a death or a serious injury on some road somewhere around our great nation. As a government here in South Australia, we recognise the impact that these unnecessary deaths and injuries have on way too many families and communities. Having said that, we have seen some positive results in respect to road deaths in South Australia during the course of this year. Of course, we are about halfway through November, so there are approximately six or seven weeks left until the end of the year, but at the moment we are ahead of last year's road toll. We have had 80 deaths in South Australia up to this point this year, including one tragically, I understand, yesterday evening, but that compares to, from memory, about 93 at the same point last year.

For a particularly important cohort, we are also on track; we have some good results. Again from memory—touch wood—last year for 16 to 19 year olds, seven people tragically died on our roads, but so far this year there has only been one person who is in that category, I am advised. That puts us on track to exceed that target as well for young families.

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to be in the RAH, where there was a program going on called the P.A.R.T.Y. Program. The P.A.R.T.Y. Program is a program where health professionals, generally speaking on volunteer time—nurses, emergency department surgeons and the like—take school students through the emergency department and also into the ICU, so that they can witness firsthand the potential consequences of their actions if they take unnecessary risks on the state's roads.

Having watched this unfold earlier today and seeing the young people who were bearing witness to the exercise, it was obvious that it was having a profound impact on them. These programs, along with a whole range of other state government initiatives, I think are starting to show some good results, but we do know that we are only a poor decision away from another tragedy on our roads when a number of people die. We have to make sure that we remain vigilant as a government, as a parliament, towards providing improvements legislatively to make our roads safer.

Just as importantly, if not more importantly, as a community we need to make sure that we remain vigilant and conscious of sending the right messages to all South Australians about what is unacceptable behaviour on our roads, what is socially just not palatable. Those messages and the demonstrations and examples that are provided by adults are particularly important for younger people who are starting to use roads for the first time. We are coming into the end of the school year and schoolies is fast approaching. That is always a time, I am sure, that causes a degree of anxiety amongst so many loving parents.

It is a particularly important time to be getting the message out amongst young people, particularly those who are going to travel some distance to partake in schoolies festivities, that they should not take any unnecessary risks. There is no need to rush: you are a potential university student, so time is less precious than it is when you are older. So, use an opportunity to take your time, don't take unnecessary risks as you are on our roads travelling around during the festive period, and, of course, most importantly, don't take risks regarding the consumption of drugs and alcohol.