Data from the 2000 Local Government Road Safety Survey was compared with that obtained in the 1998 Local Government Road Safety Survey as an examination of changes in road safety at the local government level since the Saferoads Initiative was implemented in 1998. There is some evidence of an increase in road safety activity at the local government level in 2000. A larger number of Council business units were indicated to share responsibility for road safety and twice as many Councils had set road safety targets in 2000. More Councils spent money on various road safety projects in 2000 and a greater number of Councils were planning future road safety activities. Even though it was a focus of the Saferoads Initiative, the number of Councils with a Road Safety Plan or Strategy did not increase from 1998 to 2000. However many more Councils were developing one in 2000 than in 1998. Few Councils conducted regular safety audits on the existing road system and few council staff received any formal training in relation to road safety. Suggestions are made for follow-up surveys to further evaluate the Saferoads Initiative and the changes in road safety activity at local government level. (Author/publisher)
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