WA Speed Limit Changes as Election Heats Up

As Western Australia prepares for the upcoming state election, road safety has become a key issue, with experts calling for lower speed limits to reduce fatalities. However, political parties remain hesitant to commit to such changes, fearing voter backlash.

Speed Limit Reduction: A Divisive Issue

Road safety advocates argue that lowering speed limits is the most effective way to prevent crashes and save lives. According to the WA Centre for Road Safety Research, a 10% reduction in speed can decrease fatal and serious injury crashes by up to 30%.

Despite this, political leaders have largely avoided making firm commitments to lower speed limits, recognizing the unpopularity of such measures. WA Centre for Road Safety Research Director Teresa Senserrick acknowledged the difficulty in addressing speed reductions during an election campaign. “Speed is always a sensitive topic, especially when elections are on the horizon,” she said.

Mixed Community Responses

Recent trials of reduced speed limits have yielded mixed results. The City of Busselton rejected participation in Australia’s largest road safety trial after 70% of surveyed residents opposed a blanket speed limit reduction. In contrast, the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River supported the initiative, with 70% of respondents agreeing that lower speeds would improve safety.

“Speed limits are often a contentious issue, but the evidence shows that reducing speeds saves lives,” Senserrick added.

Infrastructure Costs vs. Speed Reductions

Implementing extensive road safety measures across WA’s vast regional network poses a significant financial challenge. Many rural roads were not designed for high-speed travel, and road safety experts suggest reducing rural speed limits from 110 km/h to 100 km/h as a more feasible alternative to expensive infrastructure upgrades.

Tasmania has already implemented an 80 km/h maximum speed for unsealed roads, a model that WA researchers suggest could be applied in rural areas to improve safety.

Political Party Commitments

With the election approaching, major parties have announced road safety funding commitments:

WA Labor: Pledges $125 million for safety upgrades on state-owned regional roads.
WA Nationals: Promises $276 million for improving safety on 8,000 km of high-speed local government roads.
WA Liberals: Commits $100 million to safety treatments and proposes hiring an additional 500 police officers to deter dangerous driving.

While these investments focus on improving road conditions, none of the major parties have committed to implementing lower speed limits as a statewide policy.

Calls for a Comprehensive Road Safety Approach

The RAC has advocated for a combination of reduced speed limits and improved road conditions. RAC General Manager Will Golsby emphasized that “speed remains a leading factor in road fatalities” and called for further government action.

“We need to strike a balance between improving infrastructure and enforcing safer speed limits,” Golsby said. “Governments must take proactive steps to ensure WA roads are as safe as possible.”

The Road Ahead

With WA’s road toll reaching its highest level in nearly a decade, the debate over speed limits is expected to continue beyond the election. Road safety experts urge policymakers to take decisive action, whether through infrastructure improvements, increased law enforcement, or revised speed limits.

As voters head to the polls, the question remains: Will road safety reforms take precedence, or will political leaders continue to avoid the controversial discussion of lowering speed limits?

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