Western Australia is taking decisive action to address its rising road toll, with hundreds of regional roads set to have their speed limits reduced in a new three-year trial.
Dylan Anderson
WA Launches Largest Safer Speeds Trial
The Shire of Augusta Margaret River has approved a plan to slash speed limits on 550 roads, aiming to curb the state's high number of road deaths and serious injuries. The Safer Speeds Trial is the largest initiative of its kind in Australia and is designed to make roads safer without significantly impacting travel times.
Currently, Western Australia faces its worst road toll since 2016, with 173 deaths recorded so far this year. Authorities believe speed reduction is a crucial step toward reversing this trend.
What the Trial Involves
- Roads with speed limits of 80-110km/h will be reduced to 70-80km/h.
- In less built-up areas, 70-100km/h roads will be lowered to 60km/h.
- Urban and town centre roads will see a 10km/h reduction.
An assessment of 16 local routes found that travel times would increase by less than two minutes on average, with most journeys affected by only 62 seconds.
Dylan Anderson
Community Support and Expansion Plans
A community education campaign will accompany the rollout throughout 2025 to ensure drivers are aware of the changes. Signage installations are planned to clearly mark the new limits.
The City of Busselton will vote in January 2025 on whether to join the trial. If approved, more than 1800 roads across the region could eventually have lower speed limits.
Shire President Julia Meldrum strongly backed the initiative, stating:
"While the trial may result in a slight increase in travel times, the safety benefits far outweigh this. This is about saving lives and making our roads safer for everyone."
RAC Group Executive Social and Community Impact, Terry Durant, echoed this sentiment:
"We know speed is a major contributor to road trauma and the aim of the trial is to create safer roads for everyone."
Why Lower Speeds Matter
Road safety experts consistently highlight that reducing speed limits can dramatically decrease fatalities and serious injuries. Studies show even small reductions in speed can lead to major improvements in survival rates in the event of a crash.
With Western Australia's road toll at concerning levels, authorities are focusing on safer infrastructure, better community education, and speed management as critical tools in saving lives.
The Safer Speeds Trial marks a major step forward for road safety in WA and could pave the way for broader reforms across the state.
Dylan Anderson
Dylan Anderson
