A safe drive / Dept. of Main Roads.

Winner: Pre-disaster Category, Federal/State Government Stream, Safer Communities Awards 2006.

Mains Roads Border District located in Southern Queensland has several key road links between NSW and Queensland which carry high volumes of traffic, including a significant number of heavy vehicles. Research undertaken by the district office into the large number of accidents ascertained that a high proportion were single vehicle accidents with no obvious cause occurring in the same area close to the town of Warwick. A closer examination of the issue was undertaken using an interagency approach through the 3E Committee (Main Roads, Qld Transport and Qld Police) and consultation with local government agencies and key community stakeholders. It was recognised that the area was experiencing a number of fatigue related accidents which cannot easily be dealt with using the traditional approaches of engineering, education or enforcement. As all road accidents have a significant economic and social cost to the community, any reduction is a highly desirable outcome. As a result of extensive research and consultation by the interagency group a range of initiatives and strategies were developed including: increased billboard signage, integrating the messages from statewide media campaigns; use of non-standard "crazy signs" to engage and inform drivers and vehicle occupants; increased use of formal and informal rest areas including more areas for heavy vehicles to pull off; increased use of locational signage to both engage drivers and help them to be able to identify their location in the event of an accident or an emergency; increased and strategic use of strategic guardrails; use of audible rumble strips; clearing the roadside environment to make it more "forgiving" and reduce the impact of driver error; cooperative work with Police - information handouts during regular road patrols and driver surveys utilising the Driver Reviver network. The early data indicates significant improvement in accident statistics. The initiatives of the project are being taken up across the state and even further with a paper on the project being presented in New Zealand.