Road Safety Trial

Mr GEOFF CORRIGAN: My question is addressed to the Minister for Police. Can the Minister update the House on the latest road safety trial on New South Wales roads?

Mr DAVID CAMPBELL: I thank the member for Camden for his question and, of course, his interest in road safety matters. Road safety is a top priority for the Iemma Government: it is clearly defined in the State Plan. While we can never be complacent, the road toll for 2007 was the lowest since World War II despite there now being 13 times more cars on the road. Last year around 50 families were spared the horror of losing loved ones on our roads: that is 50 families that did not get the horrible knock on the door from police, 50 families saved from a lifetime of grieving and loss. But there is more work to do. That is why this morning I joined the Minister for Roads in launching Australia's largest road safety trial using satellite technology to help motorists stay safe on New South Wales roads. This $1 million intelligent speed adaptation project will involve 100 cars, up to four global positioning satellites and cutting-edge in-card technology similar to that of satellite navigation devices. Speeding is the biggest killer on New South Wales roads and is a factor in around 40 per cent of all fatal crashes.

In New South Wales last year 139 people lost their lives on our roads because of speed. This technology has the potential to assist in cutting the road toll and save lives. The trial is being conducted by the New South Wales Centre for Road Safety, which was formed by the Iemma Government last year to improve road safety. The Iemma Government is committed to improving road safety. That is why a record $141 million is being invested in road safety initiatives next year under the Iemma Government's record $4 billion roads budget.

This new trial will use satellites and in-car technology to help motorists stay within the speed limit. To put it simply, the satellites communicate to the device that is mounted on the dashboard the speed limit at the exact location where the car is. The device warns the driver that they need to slow down. The technology also has the capacity to slow a vehicle's speed by safely decreasing fuel supply to the engine. I am advised that 40 of the trial vehicles will be fitted with this system, but I emphasise that the driver will still be able to override the device in the case of an emergency.

This trial is about using technology in a practical way to improve road safety and help to save lives. The maps being used in the trial have been developed by the Roads and Traffic Authority [RTA] and are much more accurate than those currently available in vehicle-based satellite navigation systems. As the Minister for the Illawarra I am pleased to announce that this trial will be conducted exclusively in the Illawarra region: the Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama local government areas will be the New South Wales location for the trial. Other States are doing their own trials, but the New South Wales trial is the largest in the country.

One hundred trial vehicles will be drawn from local businesses and service providers, including the award-winning University of Wollongong, local business R. E. McMahon Plumbing, and Centrecare Welfare Services. I thank the chief executive officer of that organisation, Kath McCormack, for the organisation's involvement. There are approximately 2,500 kilometres of roadway in the Illawarra. Roads and Traffic Authority officers have identified 4,000 speed signs and mapped out 950 speed zones in which the devices will be used for the trial.

There are further benefits associated with this technology, aside from reducing the risk of speed-related crashes. I make clear this important message: The best way to avoid a speeding fine is not to speed. This technology encourages motorists to do just that. The trial will begin in July and is expected to run for approximately 18 months. I welcome the trial and look forward to the outcome. I also look forward to the future applications of this emerging technology.