Improving and building safer roads is one of the keys to reducing crashes in Victoria. The main programs are:
Safer Roads Program
Greyspot Program
Blackspot Program
Motorcycle Blackspot Program
Railway Level Crossing Safety
The Safer Roads Program (part of the arrive alive strategy) is the first program in Victoria to significantly address run off the road crashes. The current program, costing $650 million over 10 years is funded by the Transport Accident Commission and commenced in 2007/08.
The State Government has announced a $31 million Greyspot Program as part of the Safer Roads Program.
The Greyspot Program is designed to improve road safety at locations where a safety risk has been identified.
The funding specifically targets outer metropolitan and rural intersections that do not meet traditional crash-based blackspot criteria.
Select Greyspot Program [PDF, 61KB, 3pp] to view a list of approved projects.
A blackspot is a site where there have been a high number of crashes involving injury or death.
Blackspot projects are aimed at improving the safety of intersections and stretches of road and reducing the risk of crashes. Typical blackspot projects include:
- roundabouts
- traffic signals
- sealing of roads
- removal of roadside hazards
- installation of safety barriers
- signing and linemarking improvements
- audio-tactile edge lining
- appropriate speed control measures.
Blackspot projects are a highly cost-effective way of reducing deaths and injuries on our roads. Projects are funded from annual State and Federal Government budgets.
The Motorcycle Blackspot Program, funded by the Motorcycle Safety Levy, aims to improve road conditions at locations where there have been high rates of motorcycle crashes.
There are three components to the program, involving road treatments:
- at blackspots or blacklengths with high rates of motorcycle loss-of-control crashes
- at intersections with high rates of motorcycle crashes
- along popular motorcycle routes to improve the consistency of the road environment for motorcyclists.
As a part of Meeting Our Transport Challenges, the Victorian Government funded a $1.75 million trial of rumble strips at road intersections and railway level crossings. Part of this trial was a study into the effectiveness of rumble strips as a road safety countermeasure.
ARRB Services was commissioned by VicRoads to investigate the effectiveness of rumble strips at rural intersections and at rail level crossings.
The research involved a before and after study at 28 treatment and control sites (14 rail level crossings and 14 intersections).
The final report, Rumble Strip Effectiveness at Rural Intersections and Railway Level Crossings was completed in December 2008 and can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Rumble Strip Effectiveness at Rural Intersections and Railway Level Crossings [909kb, PDF, 84pp]
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