Latest news with #PeterFrazer
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Yahoo
Push for major road rule change affecting hundreds of thousands of Aussies
Calls are mounting from within the nation's capital to reduce speed limits in school zones and across high pedestrianised areas, amid a rise in "near-misses". The push comes as several other jurisdictions around the country look to make similar changes, with safety experts insisting decreased limits also significantly reduce the likelihood of serious injuries in crashes. In the ACT this week, concerned mum Veronica said a car zoomed by her in a school zone when she had her "sons in a pram" and "daughter standing right next to me". Veronica is pushing for major reform across the territory in school zones, including wombat crossings. It comes amid mounting calls across the jurisdiction to lower speed limits from 40 to 30 kilometres an hour in school zones. "I think it would make a huge difference, because it would make the area more welcoming to pedestrians," she told the ABC. "Speed bumps are not close enough to the crossing, and we may need more of them. A wombat crossing [raised zebra crossing]… would really help because it would force cars to slow down right before they got to where children are." Across the country, various local councils have already implemented speed reductions in school zones and high pedestrian areas, including the bustling inner-city suburbs of Fitzroy and Collingwood in Melbourne, and other major hubs such as Manly and Parramatta in Sydney. In both NSW and Victoria, proposals have recently been made to broaden these rules. Peter Frazer OAM, whose daughter was killed by a distracted truck driver, is one fierce advocate for reduced speed limits. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, he argues that lower speeds significantly improve safety outcomes. "People continue to speed through zones, putting our most vulnerable at risk," Peter said. "When we consider that 40 per cent of all fatalities are also associated with speed, if we were just to concentrate on this number for the next 12 months and get it down by 40 per cent, that would equate to about 550 fewer people being killed nationally." At 30 km/h, the risk of a pedestrian being killed if hit by a car drops dramatically compared to higher speeds — a key reason health and road safety experts support the change. Slower speeds also create a more liveable environment, encouraging walking, cycling, and local commerce. In areas such as school zones, shopping strips, and densely populated residential streets, reduced speed limits are seen as a simple and effective way to prevent serious injuries and fatalities while improving the overall experience for all road users. In the ACT school zones apply between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday to Friday, during school terms. In most other states and territories in Australia, including NSW, Victoria and South Australia, standard school zone speed limits are 40 km/h. But in some parts of Queensland, they're as high as 60 km/h. Veronica said she's been pushing for changes in ACT school zones, but so far, nothing has shifted. "I've had a near-miss myself... they were supposed to stop at those crossings when the flags are out… they didn't," she said. Dr James Thompson, a road safety expert at the Centre for Automotive Safety Research (CASR), led a significant study assessing vehicle speeds in school zones across the ACT. The research, published this year, aimed to evaluate current speed compliance and its implications for child safety in these areas. The study's findings underscored the necessity for stricter speed regulations to enhance pedestrian safety. It revealed that while the existing 40 km/h speed limit in ACT school zones is a positive measure, compliance rates were not optimal, and the actual speeds often exceeded this limit. The study recommended that the ACT government consider implementing a 30 km/h speed limit in school zones to align with best practices in road safety. 🚙 Major road rule changes coming into effect on July 1 across Australia 💰 Little-known road rule with $600 fine shocks Aussie drivers 🚘 Drivers warned major road rule change with $961 fines 'just weeks' away This recommendation is supported by broader evidence indicating that lower speed limits in high-pedestrian areas, such as school zones, can substantially reduce the severity of accidents and enhance overall safety. For instance, a study by the Monash University Accident Research Centre found that reducing speed limits to 30 km/h in high-pedestrian activity areas could reduce crashes resulting in serious injury by up to 50 per cent. The full report, "Vehicle speeds through school zones in the Australian Capital Territory," is available for public access and provides detailed insights into the study's methodology and findings. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Yahoo
Every Aussie driver targeted in push to combat $30 billion crisis: 'True epidemic'
One of Australia's leading road safety advocates is calling for urgent action to tackle the root causes of dangerous driving, warning that without a major shift in attitudes, road deaths will continue to rise. National Road Safety Week began on Monday, serving as a powerful reminder of the devastating impact of road trauma, and a call to action for all Australians to help ensure everyone gets home safely. The campaign was founded by Peter Frazer OAM, whose daughter was killed by a distracted truck driver. Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Peter stressed that this year, a cultural shift is more critical than ever. He said Australia must urgently rethink not just driver behaviour, but also its stance on enforcement, speeding, and accountability on the roads. At the same time, the financial cost of road trauma has soared to $30 billion annually — and that figure is only expected to climb. "The very first thing that we need to do is to flip everything on its head and start dealing with the reality of risk on our roads," he said. "That's the first thing. We've got to have our governments start doing much more active enforcement, both police enforcement and also automated enforcement, which we can do immediately. "Just giving the example of NSW, for 13 years we've been pushing for average speed cameras to be used, not just for heavy vehicles but for all vehicles, for light vehicles. NSW — and we congratulate it — but they're only just doing a trial. If we're trying to change behaviour, these obvious things that should be implemented immediately need to be done. "We need to go back to the concept of 'anywhere, anytime' in terms of compliance and enforcement. We're almost apologetic to the community if we're talking about trying to save people's lives and prevent serious injuries. "We've got to have our governments come on board and say, yeah, this is quite a serious circumstance." Speeding remains one of the most dangerous and widespread behaviours on Australian roads, including in school zones where children are at serious risk. Peter stressed that tackling speed alone could dramatically reduce the road toll, noting it's linked to 40 per cent of all fatalities. A focused, year-long effort to reduce speeding, he said, could save around 550 lives. Common myth about Aussie road deaths exposed Older drivers 'exposed' on Aussie roads after major shift Aussie drivers accused of 'selfish' road act amid widespread trend Peter said that since Covid, there's been a noticeable increase in dangerous and erratic driving across Australia. Over the past four years, the national road toll has risen from around 1,140 to more than 1,300 deaths annually. He described it as a 'true epidemic' — one he believes is preventable, saying 'we've got the vaccines' to stop it. "We need to recognise, back in 2021, the Commonwealth and state governments decided that we were going to have another National Road Safety Strategy," he said. "[That] we were going to reduce the number of people killed by 2030 by 50 per cent, and that would reduce it from those original 2021 numbers down to 570. "And right now, if we were on target in 2024, there would have been no more than 900 people killed on Australia's roads. We're almost at 50 per cent above our own target. "We've got to also recognise — it costs $30 billion in road trauma in Australia every year. Can you imagine the savings to the national economy if we reduced the number of people killed by that 50 per cent? But [we're] headed in the wrong direction — and we have been for the last four years." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
