Roads Australia has published the nation’s first Road Worker Safety Industry Guideline ahead of Road Safety Week kicking off on Sunday.
Formally launched at today’s Roads Australia Transforming Transport Summit in Melbourne, the guideline aims to protect the transport industry’s frontline workers and work towards safer roads for everyone.
Roads Australia CEO Ehssan Veiszadeh said: “The road transport sector has come together to challenge the current standard of practice and support and prioritise a vision zero future for the road worker industry.
“Industry has seen an unacceptable rise in the number of incidents, serious injuries and fatalities impacting road workers, signalling a need to continually improve the safety of road workers as well as the public travelling through work zones.”
Austroads data published in 2022 found that, over a 10-year period, an average of 18 fatal worksite crashes and 245 serious injury crashes were recorded annually.
Veiszadeh said this is “just the tip of the iceberg” as many crashes and near misses in work zones are significantly underreported.
“Industry is committed to showing leadership on this critical issue, and as a result nine leading organisations who work to build, operate and maintain our roads have come together to raise the bar on road worker safety in Australia,” he continued.
“We know more of our members and partners are looking to step up and encourage them to sign on and show their support by signing up to our Safer Workzone Commitment.”
With Road Safety Week starting on May 5, all motorists have the opportunity to make a pledge to drive so others survive.
“With the release of this guideline, we call on all drivers to consider the impact they can make on improving their behaviour, as the industry looks to partner with all levels of government to make our roads safer,” Veiszadeh said.
“Roads Australia and our members are active participants in work at the national, state and territory level to reduce road trauma including the National Road Safety Action Plan 2023- 25.”