In a bid to prioritise road safety and influence the allocation of $50 billion in federal road funding over the next five years, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) and its campaign partners (of which AfMA is one) are urging Australians to rally behind the Data Saves Lives initiative.
The campaign focuses on securing data-sharing obligations within the new National Partnership Agreement (NPA) on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects, currently under negotiation by the Commonwealth.
Slated to be finalised in December and set to take effect from July 2024, the NPA holds the key to shaping the nation’s road infrastructure and safety measures.
The Data Save Lives campaign, echoing successful data-sharing models in health, education, and housing funding agreements, aims to bring about a new era of transparency and evidence-based policy in road safety initiatives.
Speaking on behalf of the campaign, AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley emphasises the significance of data transparency and evidence-based policy
“Data transparency and evidence-based policy will cost next to nothing and will save lives,” he said.
“It would also provide a new level of funding transparency and assure voters that their political representatives are spending taxpayers’ money to save lives rather than trying to win votes in favoured electorates.”
Taking Action: Check Your Representatives’ Support in Just Seconds!
To actively participate in the campaign, Australians are encouraged to visit datasaveslives.org.au and enter their postcodes to determine whether their federal politicians support the Data Save Lives initiative. This simple step allows citizens to gauge their representatives’ stance on the critical matter of data transparency in road safety.
If politicians are not yet backing the initiative, individuals can take immediate action by entering their name, email, and postcode on the website. The platform generates a pre-drafted email, ready to be sent to elected officials, urging them to support the inclusion of data-sharing obligations in the NPA.
Broad Support Across Political Spectrum
The Data Save Lives campaign has gained widespread support, uniting Australia’s state and territory motoring clubs with 17 industry and community organisations dedicated to road safety. Endorsements have been received from members of various political parties, including Liberal, National, Greens, and Teals MPs, as well as some independents and one Labor MP.
Visit datasaveslives.org.au today to learn more about the campaign, check your representatives’ stance, and join the collective effort to create safer roads for all Australians.
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