Safer Journeys action plan - embedding a Safe System approach
Last updated on
13/02/2012 10:14 a.m.
The page sets out the actions to develop and embed a Safe System approach to road safety for 2011-2012
Develop and embed a Safe System approach
The Safe System approach is expected to significantly improve road safety over the long term, but requires substantial change in how we think about and manage road safety. There will need to be specific actions to introduce, manage and monitor this change.
To adopt a Safe System approach we will need to engage with those involved in the system at all levels: national, regional, local, public and private sector, communities and individuals. It is important to start now, as essential components of the system (such as the vehicle fleet) will take a long time to change.
Our 2020 goal
By 2020 the Safe System approach will be embedded as the approach for improving road safety and New Zealand will have moved a long way towards realising the Safer Journeys’ vision.
Focus areas
Embed the Safe System approach throughout New Zealand
Work to re-align current road safety initiatives with a Safe System approach has already commenced. Raising the capability of the road safety sector is the first step in embedding a Safe System approach. However, further effort is needed to ensure that wider transport processes and strategies recognise the Safe System approach as a priority. Work is also necessary to embed the Safe System approach at central and local government levels, as well as amongst non-government organisations and the private sector companies. Fostering shared responsibility between road designers and road users is critical.
Create a new road safety conversation
The Safe System approach is about changing how people think, talk and act in relation to road safety. People with a good understanding of the Safe System approach are more likely to understand their own responsibilities and accept road safety measures. Ultimately, we need to create an expectation by the New Zealand public for a safe road system, and an environment where people call for road safety measures.
Table 1: Actions to develop and embed a Safe System approach for 2011-2012
| Focus area |
Actions |
Responsibility |
Embed the Safe System approach throughout New Zealand
|
Establish a national programme manager to champion the Safer Journeys strategy to provide leadership, maintain momentum, and identify resource gaps and work with NRSC members to address the issues to ensure the effective delivery of the Safe System approach. |
MoT |
| Ensure the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport Funding and other relevant strategies, plans and programmes give effect to Safer Journeys and enable a Safe System approach to road safety. |
MoT/NZTA/Police/
ACC/local government |
| Establish and support a network of local government road safety champions to provide leadership in lifting the impact of local government investment in road safety over the coming decade. |
LGNZ |
| Strengthen the effectiveness of the road safety action planning, including accountability, performance monitoring and reporting arrangements. |
NZTA/local government/Police |
| Improve data to reflect the Safe System approach. |
NZTA/MoT/Police |
| Investigate and address key areas where the capacity and capability of key system designers or system users might be a barrier to achieving a safer road system. |
NZTA/MoT/Police/
ACC/LGNZ |
| Establish and operate a cross-sector Road Safety Intelligence Centre to improve our road safety outcomes by enhancing the sectors’ ability to target road safety interventions to risk. |
Police/NZTA/ACC/MoT |
| Agree to a set of indicators to monitor the embedding of a Safe System. |
MoT/Police/NZTA/ ACC/LGNZ |
Create a new Safe System road safety conversation
|
Develop and distribute a wide range of resources (such as pamphlets, websites, posters, guidance material) to raise awareness about the Safe System approach amongst all system designers and system users, so they move towards a Safe System approach. |
MoT/NZTA |
| Utilise media opportunities to empower system designers and system users to understand their responsibilities in a Safe System and generate a nationwide call to action to ensure Safer Journeys for all. |
MoT/Police/NZTA/ ACC/local government |
| Develop systems and approaches to keep central and local body politicians better informed about road safety and to ensure their support for national and local actions. |
MoT/NZTA/LGNZ |
| Develop opportunities to provide incentives to reward safe road users, for example lower ACC levies. |
MoT |
Next steps 2013–2015
The focus will be to evaluate progress over 2011–2012, to learn from our successes and failures, and to gain effective knowledge from overseas experiences of implementing the Safe System approach. The initial action will be engaging with key road safety stakeholders to reflect on our progress over 2011–2012 in embedding this approach. We can then plan the next steps towards making the Safe System approach the norm in New Zealand.
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