Changes ahead for road safety alliance

The WA Road Safety Commission visited Karratha last week to oversee a staff change and a restructure of its Pilbara industry network.

The Pilbara Industry Road Safety Alliance, one of four alliances under the RSC which has been operating since 2010, met last Friday to be introduced to new representative Ruth Curtis and to be re-organised for a more strategic direction.

RSC director of operations Chris Adams said the restructure was designed to reflect the bigger road safety vision for members of the industry while still taking community concerns into account.

“We are reviewing the strategic plan and just separating it ... from other existing road safety committees at the grassroots level, and elevating ideas at the strategic level so it has a wider impact for industry,” he said.

PIRSA members discussed Pilbara road issues such as how to handle heavy vehicles around stray animals, prospective new road infrastructure, and the effectiveness of current road safety campaigns.

Ms Curtis said driver fatigue was a key road safety issue the RSC was working to address in the region.

“Fatigue is a big issue,” she said.

“(The RSC have) just done recent research, funded through the alliance, to see what the Pilbara community thought, and the community’s top concern was fatigue.”

Ms Curtis said other road safety issues such as drink-driving, drug-driving, lack of seatbelts, and speeding remained problems for all of regional WA.

Road Safety Commissioner Kim Papalia said the restructuring of the Pilbara and other road safety alliances would improve results through better collaboration.

“We encourage all industry to participate in safety improvement on road networks around the State,” he said.

“These alliances are a great way to inform and mobilise workforces and communities in regional WA.”