❓ Mr. Love questions the Premier about implementing "Tom's Law" to restrict P-plate passenger limits, given the rise in road fatalities. The Premier acknowledges road safety concerns, highlights government investments and initiatives, and emphasizes shared responsibility, but doesn't directly commit to implementing "Tom's Law" before Christmas.
AnsweredQoN 722Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD SAFETY — PASSENGER RESTRICTIONS
722. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the tragic deaths on Western
Australian roads so far this year, making it the deadliest year for road safety
in almost a decade, and the widespread calls to implement ''Tom's
Law'', which would place a passenger limit on P-plate drivers, something
the Premier has stated is being actively considered. Given that this measure
apparently requires no legislative change and could be enacted through
regulation, will the Premier commit to prioritising ''Tom's Law''
and ensure it is in place before Christmas to prevent further loss of life?
722. Mr R.S. LOVE to the Premier:
I refer to the tragic deaths on Western
Australian roads so far this year, making it the deadliest year for road safety
in almost a decade, and the widespread calls to implement ''Tom's
Law'', which would place a passenger limit on P-plate drivers, something
the Premier has stated is being actively considered. Given that this measure
apparently requires no legislative change and could be enacted through
regulation, will the Premier commit to prioritising ''Tom's Law''
and ensure it is in place before Christmas to prevent further loss of life?
AnswerView source ↗
I am not sure, Deputy Speaker, but I
think the students of North Mandurah Primary School were not welcomed on behalf
of Minister Templeman; member for Mandurah. Let me place that on the record as
well.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Thank
you, Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : I thank the
member for the question. As the member knows, road safety is a key concern for
my government. It is something that we have worked hard on over many years. A
good example of this, for instance, is the $1 billion that we have invested in
road safety upgrades to around 9 500 kilometres of regional roads right across Western
Australia. Hardening and widening shoulders, providing audible edging and other
traffic separation initiatives are important parts of that. As members know, I recently
called a road safety round table that brought together people with expertise or
lived experience and ministers to share ideas on how we can continue to make
sure that we are putting policies in place to assist drive down the number of
deaths on Western Australian roads. I am
very pleased to have then made subsequent announcements of $32.5 million for
regional road safety initiatives. We
have deployed $160 000 to not-for-profits and organisations to continue education
campaigns in the community and, of course, we launched our hard-hitting
Speeding Shatters Your Excuses campaign, which is in the media at the moment.
We will continue to remind people that it is important that we as a community
do everything we can in terms of our own decisions to ensure that we keep
everyone safe on our roads.
Yesterday, the opposition advanced
the argument that it should be a policing issue, the reason being that it
should be in the policing portfolio. It is not in the policing portfolio in its
own shadow ministerial arrangements, but the opposition was advancing the
argument that we can somehow arrest our way out of the difficulties we have in
road safety. We cannot. We all have a duty
in Western Australia as road users to make sure that we do all the right things :
wearing a seatbelt, slowing down and driving to the conditions, not driving
drunk or tired, and avoiding distractions such as mobile phones while driving.
We can do just so much, but unless people understand the implications of
getting behind the wheel of a car and not making the right decisions, all the
measures we have in place will be for nothing; lives will be shattered,
families will be broken and the community will be traumatised. We all have a role
to play in relation to this. We need to continue to make sure that we can do
everything to drive down the number of incidents of deaths on our roads.
We are continuing to look at what
additional measures we can put in place to ensure that the government is
playing its part. Of course, we need people in the community to all do their
part as well.
think the students of North Mandurah Primary School were not welcomed on behalf
of Minister Templeman; member for Mandurah. Let me place that on the record as
well.
The DEPUTY SPEAKER : Thank
you, Premier.
Mr R.H. COOK : I thank the
member for the question. As the member knows, road safety is a key concern for
my government. It is something that we have worked hard on over many years. A
good example of this, for instance, is the $1 billion that we have invested in
road safety upgrades to around 9 500 kilometres of regional roads right across Western
Australia. Hardening and widening shoulders, providing audible edging and other
traffic separation initiatives are important parts of that. As members know, I recently
called a road safety round table that brought together people with expertise or
lived experience and ministers to share ideas on how we can continue to make
sure that we are putting policies in place to assist drive down the number of
deaths on Western Australian roads. I am
very pleased to have then made subsequent announcements of $32.5 million for
regional road safety initiatives. We
have deployed $160 000 to not-for-profits and organisations to continue education
campaigns in the community and, of course, we launched our hard-hitting
Speeding Shatters Your Excuses campaign, which is in the media at the moment.
We will continue to remind people that it is important that we as a community
do everything we can in terms of our own decisions to ensure that we keep
everyone safe on our roads.
Yesterday, the opposition advanced
the argument that it should be a policing issue, the reason being that it
should be in the policing portfolio. It is not in the policing portfolio in its
own shadow ministerial arrangements, but the opposition was advancing the
argument that we can somehow arrest our way out of the difficulties we have in
road safety. We cannot. We all have a duty
in Western Australia as road users to make sure that we do all the right things :
wearing a seatbelt, slowing down and driving to the conditions, not driving
drunk or tired, and avoiding distractions such as mobile phones while driving.
We can do just so much, but unless people understand the implications of
getting behind the wheel of a car and not making the right decisions, all the
measures we have in place will be for nothing; lives will be shattered,
families will be broken and the community will be traumatised. We all have a role
to play in relation to this. We need to continue to make sure that we can do
everything to drive down the number of incidents of deaths on our roads.
We are continuing to look at what
additional measures we can put in place to ensure that the government is
playing its part. Of course, we need people in the community to all do their
part as well.
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