FED: Australia set to fail road toll cut targets: AAA

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2007
FED: Australia set to fail road toll cut targets: AAA

CANBERRA, Dec 31 AAP - It's likely Australia will fail to meet its target to cut the
road toll, the nation's peak motoring body believes.

The Australian Automobile Association (AAA) today said the nation was falling well
behind its National Road Safety Strategy (NRSS) target of a 40 per cent cut in road deaths
between 2000 and 2010.

AAA executive director Mike Harris said it appeared the 2007 road toll would be higher
than in 2006 and the NRSS targets could now be out of reach.

According to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, 1,601 people died on Australian
roads in 2006.

"Australia seems to be going backwards in its efforts to avoid what is a national tragedy,"

Mr Harris said.

"The 2007 fatality rate means about five people die on average every day on Australian
roads - we seem to have become desensitised to this annual carnage.

"Imagine the outcry if five people died a day in aircraft or rail accidents."

Mr Harris said an an additional 75 people were hospitalised every day with serious
injuries resulting from road trauma, which costs the Australian economy about $17 billion
a year.

"Something must be done and we as a community need to get together to tackle this national
issue," he said.

AAP ag/cjh/mn

KEYWORD: TOLL YEAR

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