As the voice of road safety in Western Australia, the Road Safety Commission is dedicated to tackling road trauma, which is one of the biggest and most sustained causes of death and injury in the community.
Road Safety Commission of WA
The Road Safety Commission is a business unit within WA Police Force. It reports to the Minister for Road Safety, Hon. Michelle Roberts MLA.
The Acting Road Safety Commissioner is Mr Simon Grieve, who began in the role on 11 February 2019. Mr Grieve was formerly Director Strategic Transport Analysis and Reform at the Department of Transport.
First created in July 2015, the commission made a transition into WA Police Force on July 1, 2017, as part of the McGowan Labor government’s Machinery of Government changes to the public sector. The structural change aims to create collaborative departments focused on delivering services in a more efficient and effective way.
The Road Safety Commission holds the responsibility of reducing road trauma on WA’s roads through harnessing the knowledge, expertise and interest in our community.
Through a Road Safety Advisory framework, the Commission incorporates a diverse range of interests from the private sector, government agencies and the community, which enable input into policy and initiatives to be researched, developed or implemented.
By collaborating with these groups and key stakeholders, the Road Safety Commission is provided with strategic, operational and tactical advice which ensure innovation, agility and independence in the programs and campaigns developed.
Its aim is to support the state government’s road safety strategy, Towards Zero 2008-2020, and achieve a 40% reduction in people who are killed or seriously injured in crashes on metropolitan and regional roads. This is achieved through the continuation of delivery and implementation of the strategic directions outlined for a safe system and continues to improve road safety through the four cornerstones of: Safe Road Use, Safe Roads and Roadsides, Safe Speeds, and Safe Vehicles.
The Commission leads the way with mass media campaigns and is also a lead in the development and introduction of policies and legislation to improve road safety in WA.
Everybody who uses WA roads is important, so the Commission’s safety programs aim to protect everybody, ranging from the outback drivers of heavy haulage vehicles and sedans to vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, seniors, people with disabilities, cyclists and motorbike riders.