Road Safety in the Great Southern

City of Albany

The City of Albany’s Centennial Park Sporting Precinct upgrades included the installation of nine kilometres of shared path. The three and a half metre wide red asphalt pathway runs through the promenade, linking the western, central and eastern precincts, provides a popular route for recreational cyclists and pedestrians, and connects sport facilities, schools, services, recreation and retail destinations.

A popular feature of the network is a 640 metre flat circuit around the outside of the main football stadium. The circuit is free from any vehicle traffic interactions and provides an opportunity for riders of all ages and abilities to ride safely.

For more information visit the City of Albany’s website www.albany.wa.gov.au.

Photos courtesy of Gasgaslex Photography

Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup

The Shire of Broomhill-Tambellup recently installed a shared path along Journal Street in Broomehill to increase safety for all road users. Being a main transport route connecting the Great Southern and Albany Highway’s in Kojonup, Journal Street carries a high volume of heavy vehicles daily and provides direct access to a skate park, which vulnerable road users had to navigate when travelling.

By installing the shared path, cyclists and pedestrians are now separated from motor vehicles, creating a safer environment for all.

For more information visit the Shire of Broomehill-Tambellup’s website www.shirebt.wa.gov.au.

Shire of Denmark

The Shire of Denmark has been progressively upgrading the path between South Coast Highway and Ocean Beach to ensure a safe and accessible link for both cyclists and pedestrians.

Ocean Beach is located between the Wilson Inlet and the Southern Ocean, a few kilometres from the Denmark townsite. The beach is a major recreation site with the surf lifesaving club also located here.

The path also is an important neighbourhood connector linking residential areas along the path to both town and the beach. The upgrades include safer crossing points on intersecting roads that have accessible ramps with tactile pavers.

For more information visit the Shire of Denmark’s website www.denmark.wa.gov.au.

Shire of Plantagenet

The Shire of Plantagenet recently installed a shared path through the centre of town. The new shared path forms part of the Mount Barker Bicycle Master Path Plan and runs parallel with Mt Barker’s main street, Lowood Road.

The path connects several key nodes along the main street including Wilson Park playground, picnic area and basketball courts, enabling cyclists and pedestrians, of all ages and abilities, to ride and walk safely away from vehicle traffic on Lowood Road. The path is flat, smooth, has clear sight lines and crossing points, and includes the installation of a community bike repair station.

For more information visit the Shire of Plantagenet’s website www.plantagenet.wa.gov.au.

For every death, on roads in the Great Southern region during the 2015-2019 period, there were many more people seriously injured. Many of these serious injuries result in permanent disability and change lives forever, placing a huge burden on public health resources and the community. 

The definition of a road fatality in WA is: a person who was killed immediately or died within 30 days of the date of a road crash, as a result of the crash. The definition of a serious injury in WA is: admitted to hospital as an inpatient for treatment of injuries sustained in a crash but did not die within 30 days of the crash.

The first image on the right provides a breakdown, for the Great Southern region, of the proportion and number of people killed or seriously injured (KSI) on State versus Local Government roads.

The second image on the right shows the average annual KSI rate per 100,000 population for both State and Local Government roads, the change from the last reporting period and data about road length and usage.

What are the Most Common Crash Types in the Great Southern?

In the Great Southern region, the most common crash types include run-off-road, intersection and non-collision crashes.

This data, taken from the Great Southern region Road Safety Performance on Local Government Roads 2015-2019 Report, can assist Local Governments to prioritise their time, resources, and effort towards implementing road safety interventions which target treatment of the crashes that are killing and injuring the most people in their area.

How can I get Involved in Road Safety in the Great Southern?

We can all play a role in preventing road crashes. Governments, communities, and individual road users can all contribute in different ways to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.

There are a number of road safety initiatives being implemented in the Great Southern region, two being Coffee Stop and Driver Reviver. 

These programs provide free coffee or tea to drivers to encouraging them to take a break from driving, helping to address driver fatigue in Western Australia.

To find out how you can get involved in these and other road safety initiatives, visit the Take Action section of this website or contact Regional Road Safety Advisor, Vivienne Gardiner.