The National Road Safety Strategy 2021-30(Opens in a new tab/window) includes Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) to inform how well the road safety interventions perform and to help us understand the gaps. These are grouped into 3 categories: Safe Roads, Safe Vehicles and Safe Road Use.
Their definitions and measurement methodologies are all under development. The majority of these measures need further work to clarify their definition and have no readily available data to source from.
-
Data source: States and territory road and transport agencies
Proxy measure: Risk rating for the high-speed network, which is defined in 2023 as the National Land Transport Network roads.
Share of travel on all national highways and on the high-speed network (over 80 km/h) covering 80% of travel recognised as 3 stars (or equivalent risk rating or better).
This measure looks at the safety ratings of roads, and is intended to focus on high-speed, high-volume roads. Further work is being undertaken to define the remainder of high-speed network, and capture travel on these roads to identify which have ‘80% of travel’. States and territories are at different stages of collecting risk ratings for roads on their networks – with some almost 10 years old. However, under the AusRAP Strategy (administered by Austroads), all states and territories have committed to publishing their road safety ratings for arterial roads by early 2025.
There are different methodologies used to measure road risk ratings. AusRAP uses a ‘star rating’ system, where higher star ratings (maximum 5) signify a safer road. While this is a common method, it is not the only one.
-
Data source: State and territory road and transport agencies
Proxy measure: Total length of motorcycle crash barriers installed by each jurisdiction from 2021-22.
Share of road length on designated motorcycle routes with motorcycle friendly crash barriers.
This measure seeks to identify the increase in crash barriers installed in crash risk areas on routes where there is a known volume of motorcycle traffic.
There is no widely agreed definition of ‘designated motorcycle routes.’ The length of motorcycle crash barriers is also a measure of installation against crash risk sites, rather than total length.
-
Data source: A commercially purchased data set was used (HERE data) which uses the lowest speed of all the intersecting roads at an intersection. NT, TAS and VIC have contributed their own data.
Share of signalised intersections with a speed limit less than 70 km/h.
Setting appropriate speed limits is a critical component of road safety, and impact speed has a significant correlation to the risk of serious injury across different crash types.
-
Share of high-pedestrian CBD/town centre areas under Movement and Place, or equivalent approaches, with posted speed limits of less than or equal to 40 km/h.
Data not available
-
Data source: State and territory road and transport agencies
Proxy measure: Number of road safety program projects that included improvements for cyclist safety from 2021.
Shares of roads in urban areas with a posted speed limit at least 50 km/h with separated cycle ways, and in urban areas outside of ABS remoteness category ‘major cities.’
To reduce fatalities and serious injuries involving vulnerable road users, particularly in higher traffic areas, either travel speeds need to be reduced, or vulnerable road users need to be separated from motor vehicles. This could be achieved by providing, for example, separated cycle ways.
There is insufficient data to measure this indicator in 2023. As a proxy, states and territories have provided the number of projects under the Road Safety Program which specifically target cyclist safety.
Vehicle safety rating
Proxy measure: ANCAP safety ratings for new cars sold in Australia (passenger and SUVs).
Share of light vehicle fleet that has an ANCAP 5-star rating within a six-year time stamp.
The ANCAP star rating protocols are updated periodically. All ratings from 2018 onwards have an expiry of 6 years from the rating year. Several pre-2018 ANCAP ratings expired at the end of 2022.
-
Data source: Australian government held data, as reported from states and territories
Proxy measure: The percentage of positive blood alcohol tests compared to tests undertaken, and the percentage of positive drug test compared to tests undertaken.
Share of drivers and riders tested who are not over the applicable blood alcohol concentration limit or under the influence of drugs.
This SPI seeks to track the proportion of people who are tested for alcohol or drugs and pass, compared to those who do not.
-
Proxy measure: Disclaimer – Not nationally defined. Data collection issues exist.
Share of vehicles at or below the speed limit.
This SPI seeks to track the proportion of people who are complying with the speed limit, compared to those who are not. There is wide variation between jurisdictions on what is captured and reported. For example, some jurisdictions can report on the full SPI, some a sample, others the proxy measure (those photographed travelling over the speed limit), and some not at all.
Jurisdiction Either compliance rate or number of vehicles observed speeding and number of vehicles observed not speeding (can be a sample) Limitations ACT 1 January to 19 November 2023
Mobile speed cameras – infringements issued 0.18%
(99.82% compliance).
Data collected from 1 January to 19 November 2023. Fixed camera data not available. NSW Percentage of light vehicles exceeding the speed limit in 2009, 2019 and 2020.
Posted speed limit during 2009:
- 40k km/h school zone: 35%
- 40km/h: 69%
- 50km/h: 66%
- 60km/h: 40%
- 70km/h: 46%
- 80km/h: 39%
- 90km/h: 39%
- 100km/h: 43%
- 110km/h: 50%
Posted speed limit during 2019:
- 40k km/h school zone: 26%
- 40km/h: 63%
- 50km/h: 50%
- 60km/h: 29%
- 70km/h: 28%
- 80km/h: 21%
- 90km/h: 38%
- 100km/h: 38%
- 110km/h: 44%
Posted speed limit during 2020:
- 40k km/h school zone: 32%
- 40km/h: 68%
- 50km/h: 55%
- 60km/h: 27%
- 70km/h: 33%
- 80km/h: 23%
- 90km/h: 39%
- 100km/h: 40%
- 110km/h: 57%
This NSW data is publicly available. Updated data will be provided in next report. NT Data not available Data not available.
QLD Proportion of vehicles passing cameras not given
an infringement:
Overt mobile speed cameras: 99.46%
Covert mobile speed cameras: 99.50%
Fixed cameras: 99.95%
Cine reflect lighting system (CRLS) cameras: 99.92%
Peer to peer (P2P) cameras: 99.86%
Trailer speed cameras: 99.96% (does not include regional deployments)
Entire Camera Detected Offence Program (CDOP): 99.84%
Compliance rate from cameras for speeding 2018-22.
SA Fiscal year (FY) 2018-19 – 0.88% of vehicles through mobile speed cameras were issued expiations (10,072,478 vehicles, 83,567 General Enforcement Notices [GENs] issued)
FY 2019-20 – 0.79% of vehicles through mobile speed cameras were issued expiations (11,635,301 vehicles, 92,284 GENs issued)
FY 2020-21 – 0.91% of vehicles through mobile speed cameras were issued expiations (13,248,981 vehicles, 120,959 GENs issued)
FY 2021-22 – 0.94% of vehicles through mobile speed cameras were issued expiations (11,764,741 vehicles, 110,908 GENs issued)
FY 2022-23 – 0.77% of vehicles through mobile speed cameras were issued expiations (13,027,369 vehicles, 100,274 GENs issued)
TAS Data not available Data not available.
VIC Fixed road safety cameras = 99.95% compliance for January to March 2023. Mobile road safety cameras = 99.20% compliance for January to March 2023. Compliance rates for fixed and mobile cameras are published at Driver compliance rates | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au). (Opens in a new tab/window) WA 2022 SPI share of vehicles at or below the speed limit - 70.6%.
2023 SPI share of vehicles at or below the speed limit - 71.0%.
2023 SPI increased share of vehicles at or below the speed limit (2022 to 2023) - 0.4 percentage points.
In order to capture overall WA performance, this SPI uses both metropolitan and regional speed surveys.
These surveys alternate every year. Surveys are not completed until around February the year after the survey data was collected (also the year of the survey report).
Therefore, each annual SPI will use data from the previous year’s report and the report 2 years previously.
Data source: State and territory reported data
-
Proxy measure: Data on vehicle occupants using a mobile phone or device.
Share of drivers and riders observed/photographed not using a mobile phone or device.
This SPI seeks to track the proportion of people who are complying with legislation around mobile phone use while driving. There has been a rapid roll-out of mobile phone detection technology over the past 2 years, however there is wide variation between jurisdictions on what is captured and reported and the technology is not yet operational in all jurisdictions.
Jurisdiction Either compliance rate or number of drivers checked for mobile phone use and number of drivers recorded using a mobile phone (can be a sample) Limitations ACT 0.41% (using a mobile device) from 1 March to 31 October 2023. Data obtained from 3 transportable and one fixed (2 lane) cameras. Warnings or infringements were not issued during this period from data collected from these cameras. NSW During FY2022-23, 135 million vehicle checks were performed by mobile phone detection cameras and 208,600 fines were issued for camera-detected mobile phone offences, an infringement rate of 0.15% and a reduction from 0.19% in 2021-22. NT Data not available. Data not available (no cameras). QLD 99.86% (0.14% using a phone). Compliance rate from cameras for mobile phone use 2021-23. SA Data not available. SA does not currently have cameras operating to detect mobile phone use. TAS Data not available. Data not available. VIC 0.30% = (4676 / 1571704) – (% portable device non-compliance rate) The 3-month period 31 March to 30 June 2023 was the advisory period for the new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras. WA Data not available. WA does not currently have cameras operating to detect mobile phone use. Data source: Australian Government held data, as reported from states and territories.
-
Share of motor vehicle occupants wearing seatbelts.
This SPI seeks to track the proportion of people who are photographed wearing a seatbelt, compared to those who are not. There is a wide variation between jurisdictions on what is captured and reported. For example, some jurisdictions can report on the full SPI, some a sample, others use the proxy measure (those photographed not wearing a seatbelt), and some not at all. It is expected data for this measure will improve in 2024 as seatbelt cameras are rolled out more broadly.
Enforcement data on vehicle occupants photographed not wearing a seatbelt. There is a wide difference between states on what is captured and reported. We expect this data will improve in 2024 as seatbelt cameras are rolled out across each state and territory.
Jurisdiction Either compliance rate or number of vehicle occupants wearing seatbelts (can be a sample) Limitations ACT Data not available. ACT does not currently have cameras operating to detect seat belt use. NSW 2023 (n=10,681): 99.2%. 2020 (n=9299): 99.3%. Seat belt compliance based on observational study of drivers/passengers in light vehicles in NSW. NT Data not available. NT does not currently have cameras operating to detect seat belt use. QLD November 2021 to September 2023:
Drivers – 99.97% (0.03% not wearing).
Passengers - 99.96% (0.04% not wearing);
Total - 99.93% (0.07% not wearing).
Compliance rate from cameras for seatbelts 2018-22. SA Data not available. SA does not currently have cameras operating to detect seat belt use. TAS Data not available. Data not available
VIC Driver seatbelt non-compliance rate: 0.32% = (5015 / 1571704)%. For a sample period 31 March to 30 June 2023 inclusive. This 3-month period was the advisory period for the new mobile phone and seatbelt detection cameras. WA Data not available. WA does not currently have cameras operating to detect seat belt use. Data source: Australian Government held data, as reported from states and territories.
Explore related data and insights
-
Explore how Australia is tracking on national strategic targets for 2030. -
Monitoring road deaths allows us to track progress towards the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 vision of a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2030 and zero deaths by 2050. -
This report is the latest in the series of annual road crash statistical reports. It presents annual counts of road deaths, injuries and standardised rates.
Have a question or feedback?
Contact the Road Safety Data Hub team