AAA advocacy drives road safety data win

Thanks to the Australian Automobile Association’s ‘Data Saves Lives’ campaign, the Australian Government has now committed to releasing vital road trauma data. This initiative aims to improve road safety, increase transparency, and ensure more accountable use of public funds.

The AAA ‘Data Saves Lives’ campaign has built public and political support for ‘data-driven road funding’ in Australia.

Australia‘s road toll is rising 10% a year, with 100 people being hospitalised each day—marking the worst numbers in more than a decade.

All seven state governments collect data on every road death and serious injury, but they do not share it, making it impossible to explain rising road deaths or assess the effectiveness of funded measures.

AAA research shows most Australians suspect that politicians prioritise their own political interests over community benefit when funding road projects. The campaign was designed not only to make Australian roads safer, but also to improve transparency and accountability in the allocation of public money.

The AAA asked the government to use the $10 billion AUD it allocates in annual road funding to compel the publication of road safety data. The AAA campaign highlighted how sharing this data will save lives and let taxpayers see if the money is going where it’s needed.

The AAA datasaveslives.org.au site displayed which politicians supported making road safety data public, and which did not. The site also leveraged support from a diverse coalition of transport, medical, and safety organisations which publicly endorsed the AAA’s campaign. These included the AAA’s member motoring clubs, as well as motorists, motorcyclists, truckers, pedestrians, doctors, insurers, road engineers and safety advocates.

In early May 2024, the Australian Federal Government announced it will require the states to provide the crash data they collect in exchange for road funding.

The Australian Transport Minister said: “Many stakeholders, including the Australian Automobile Association, have been calling for this action and we thank them for their advocacy. The Commonwealth is committed to using greater data collection to increase road safety. I encourage the states which haven’t indicated they will do so to now do the same.”

The Minister also announced AUD $21 million will be invested in a National Road Safety Data Hub that will enable the data collected from the states to be used “…effectively by everyone, including decision makers…”.

The AAA responded to both announcements. “The AAA is very pleased the Australian Government has listened to motorists,” AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said. “Data sharing will not only save lives, but also end the politicisation of road funding by revealing whether governments are investing in the roads that most need safety upgrades, rather than investing in road projects in marginal electorates to win votes.”