A new national dashboard shows safety ratings for Australia’s major highways and arterial roads.
Austroads has released the first set of AusRAP star ratings for arterial roads, applying the internationally recognised iRAP methodology to assess how safe road infrastructure is for vehicle occupants.
Ratings range from one star (least safe) to five stars (most safe), with each additional star halving the risk of death or serious injury.
“These results provide a snapshot in time of the safety of our roads – and there is still much work to be done to reach our goal of having 80 per cent of all travel occur on roads rated 3 stars or better by 2030,” said Austroads Chief Executive Geoff Allan.
The National AusRAP Dashboard consolidates star ratings, crash history data and traffic volumes. It combines crash density (serious crashes per kilometre per year) and crash rate (serious crashes per 100 million vehicle kilometres travelled) to provide governments with a clear evidence base for prioritising upgrades.
Australia’s vast road network means the initial focus is on the busiest corridors, where higher speeds and heavier traffic volumes produce the greatest risk.
“That’s why the focus of AusRAP is on the country’s most travelled roads – the highways and major arterial routes where millions of Australians drive every day, and where fatal and serious injury crashes are most likely to occur,” Allan said.
NSW Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison said: “You cannot fix what you do not measure.”
“AusRAP gives us a powerful national tool to improve road safety. The Minns Labor Government has proudly played a leading role in this initiative and will use AusRAP to guide road safety investment decisions that are data and evidence based,” she said.
WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said it is encouraging to see that “currently 82 per cent of vehicle travel on the WA state network is on 3-star standard, or better, roads”.
“We are committed to continuing to maintain and improve our state network to provide safer travel for all road users,” she said.
ACT’s Roads ACT welcomed the national release, with Senior Director Benjamin Hubbard noting it supports the territory’s Vision Zero goal.
“Delivering safe roads and infrastructure is a significant priority for the ACT Government and a key focus of our current ACT Road Safety Action Plan,” he said.
AusRAP was first introduced by the Australian Automobile Association in 2001, with Austroads assuming national leadership in 2021. The program aligns with global best practice and is already used in more than 130 countries.
Stakeholder organisations said the ratings are vital for transparency and accountability.
Dr Ingrid Johnston, Chief Executive of the Australasian College of Road Safety, said the ratings will guide improvements for vehicle occupants but more needs to be done to extend coverage to pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.
The International Road Assessment Programme’s Chief Executive Greg Smith warned time is short: “There are only five years left to achieve Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy target of ensuring that at least 80 per cent of travel occurs on roads with a 3-star rating or higher by 2030.”
“While these AusRAP results can help inform and guide the priority of work needed to achieve this ambitious objective, there is no time to lose,” he said.
The interactive National AusRAP Dashboard is now live, offering an accessible resource for governments, industry, and the public to track progress towards safer roads.
