The New South Wales Government has released an interactive digital map showing the safety star rating of more that 20,000km of state and 15,000km of regional roads.
More than 71 per cent of all road travel taken on state roads is rated at three or more stars according to the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) national standard. The data was collected over the past 10 years.
This means NSW is closing on the national target of 80 per cent of all road travel in the state being taken on state roads rated 3 or more stars by 2030 – roads that have the most modern safety features, such as barriers, divided dual carriageways and wide shoulders.
While this map confirms NSW has some of the safest road corridors, including the Hume and Pacific Highways, it also highlights opportunities to increase road safety measures further:
- By far most state roads in NSW are rated three stars, which represents a high-quality road which meets national and regulatory standards
- Less than one per cent of roads are rated five stars (such as new and high-speed roads) and represent the newest and busiest roads such as new or upgraded freeways and arterial routes
- Some 90 per cent of all road travel in NSW takes place on state roads rating two stars or more, with room to lift more roads to three stars through installing extra safety features
- A further 23.5 per cent of travel is on state roads are rated two stars and 3.8 per cent rated one star. A one-star rating does not mean unsafe. These roads have far less traffic and less installed safety features
AusRAP targets do not require all roads in NSW to become five-star, rather, they focus on lifting more of the network to three stars or above, focusing on those roads with higher traffic volumes which research shows significantly reduces the risk of serious injury or death.
For example, going from one to three stars requires roadside barriers to protect road users from impacting with power poles or trees, and increased shoulder width to allow more recovery time for drivers. Over two years, the Federal-NSW Road Safety Program is improving an estimated 450 km of one and two-star roads to at least 3 stars or greater.
Not all roads need to be five-stars, and not all one-star roads need to be upgraded to be fit for purpose.
In most cases the biggest impact on road trauma comes from upgrading high-risk roads where people travel the most, resulting in reduced crash risk and trauma.
The release of this data is part of the State Government’s effort to improve fairness and transparency across the road network, pinpointing locations for further investment.
This map will enable evidence-based decision making about road safety improvement funding, ensuring fairness in distributing safety infrastructure like barriers and wider shoulders.
Other states are expected to release their mapping data in coming months. However, NSW has gone beyond the national requirements by measuring not only State roads but also Regional roads for the first time. All states have committed to work together collaboratively and to share road safety information alongside Austroads as the peak association of transport agencies.
NSW Minister for Roads, Jenny Aitchison, said that while in NSW more than 71 per cent of all road travel taken on roads is rated highly under the national standard, there is room to roll out more safety features.
“We’re using this information to take a serious look at our road network and then leverage the data to deliver evidence-based upgrades and safety improvements,” Aitchison said.
“You can’t fix what you don’t measure. This map shows us what’s working and where we can go further. It’s a vital step forward in making sure every region gets the safe, high-quality roads it deserves.
“In the recent Budget, we announced we’re investing $2.8 billion in road safety projects across the state.
“These are much-needed projects that will greatly reduce the risk of death and serious injury across our road network. For example, over two years, we will improve an estimated 450km of the one- and two-star roads to three stars or greater.”
Austroads CEO, Geoff Allan, said that Austroads commends Transport for NSW for publishing their AusRAP results.
“Road safety star ratings are a powerful tool to help road managers prioritise improvements that save the most lives as quickly as possible, while providing transparency for the community,” Allan said.
“As the national manager and coordinator of AusRAP, Austroads is looking forward to sharing results from other jurisdictions in the near future.
“The NSW results show strong progress towards the 2030 target of 80 per cent of travel on three-star or better roads. But that milestone is just one step on our journey. Achieving our long-term vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on Australian and New Zealand roads by 2050 will require continued commitment and action.”
