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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-13 Daily Xml
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ROAD SAFETY

Ms THOMPSON (Reynell) (14:38): My question is to the Minister for Road Safety. As my first question to the new minister I am very pleased to be able to ask it. Can the minister inform the house about some recent road safety initiatives that the government has carried out?

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING (Playford—Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Road Safety, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) (14:38): I thank the member for Reynell for this important question. Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and I will fulfil the Labor government's ambitious target of reducing the number of deaths on our roads to fewer than 90 a year. During the next four years I will be putting the Rann Labor government's road safety election promises into action. These include pledges to spend an extra $3 million a year on improvements to South Australia's rural roads, with safety barriers, sealing road shoulders, line marking—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: —and improving intersection and junction layouts. Young people are overrepresented in the road toll, so we will be doubling the suspension period for L and P-plate drivers who put themselves and others at risk by driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs. L and P-plate drivers who are caught drink or drug driving will have their licences suspended for 12 months instead of six months under these new rules. All L and P-plate drivers who lose their licence will have to complete a compulsory road and driver safety course before they are allowed back on the roads.

The Road Accident Awareness Program, which is run in our schools by the Metropolitan Fire Service, will be expanded so that it reaches 90 per cent of students. The program involves firefighters explaining to year 11 students the horror that they face when they are called upon to rescue people trapped in cars after car crashes.

We will also be cracking down on street racing by making the existing street racing traffic offence a serious criminal offence that will attract a maximum of three years' gaol and a one-year licence disqualification. Second or subsequent offenders will receive five years in gaol and will have their licences disqualified for three years.

The government will also be introducing legislation into parliament that will give the Police Commissioner the power to permanently cancel someone's driving licence if their driving record is so bad that they are a menace to public safety. With the cooperation of every road user, including drivers and pedestrians, we can all play a part in reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

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