The paper examines the potential road safety impacts of the GMC 400 V8 Supercar Race held in Canberra from 9-11 June 2000. The race was held in and around the Parliamentary Zone, which includes the new and old Parliament Houses. It was held exclusively for Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore V8s, a formula that is unique to Australia. The cars regularly reached speeds of over 200 km/h in streets normally limited to 60 km/h. The race had a number of potential impacts on road safety issues, which can be examined at a number of spatial scales of analysis. At the local scale, changes in traffic flows before, during and after the race are examined. In addition, any disruptions to safer transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport, are considered. At the city scale the impact on total private motor vehicle traffic flows and accidents is assessed. At the national scale, issues concerning the combination of alcohol advertising and high-speed racing emerge. The location of the race in the Parliamentary Zone, considered by some as the political and symbolic heart of the nation, arguably adds legitimacy to the combination of alcohol (advertising and consumption) and speed. The juxtaposition of alcohol and speed was particularly important considering the large proportion of spectators aged under 30. These issues may also have an impact at the international scale, considering a claimed international television audience for the race of 85 million people. (Author/publisher) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E205861.
Samenvatting