› DIER › Annual Reports › 2004 Annual Report › Output Group 2

LAND TRANSPORT SAFETY PROGRAMS

This Output Group covers the work of the Department in promoting the safe and efficient movement of all traffic - including pedestrian, bicycle, vehicular and rail - within the Tasmanian land transport system.

The main outputs within the Group relate to:

safety interventions on the road network;
road safety education through community programs;
school-based education programs, advertising and intervention campaigns;
the administration and registration of vehicles;
appropriate standards and licensing of drivers and motorcycle riders;
traffic regulations; and
management of heavy vehicles and public vehicles and rail safety operations.
The Output Group reflects the Department's statutory responsibilities for maintaining a safe and efficient transport system and directly contributes to the Agency's Outcome of a safe transport system.

Key clients
The clients for this Output Group are all the users of Tasmania's land transport system.

How this Output Group is delivered
The Outputs are essentially provided by Departmental staff, with external providers being used as required.

Achievements Against Strategies Identified for 2003/04
ROAD SAFETY OPERATIONS
Older Driver Handbook
The Older Driver Handbook 2nd Edition has been produced for drivers over the age of 65. The handbook aims to increase the safety of older drivers on the road, by providing practical tips for safer driving, information about common health problems, medicines and drugs, the use of alcohol and its effect on driving, simple car maintenance and advice on the purchase of a new vehicle.
The Older Driver Handbook is available free, from Service Tasmania Shops, by telephoning the Transport Enquiry Service on 1300 135 513 or by attending an Older Driver Seminar conducted by the Department.

Older Driver Seminars
Older Driver Safety Seminars are conducted to supplement the Tasmanian Older Driver Handbook and promote safer driving among those aged 65 or over. While older drivers do not have as many crashes as young drivers, they do have a greater risk of having a crash for every kilometre that they travel. In addition, older drivers are more likely to suffer serious injury if they are involved in a crash.
The program is designed to refresh the participant’s knowledge of the road rules, furnish practical advice on road safety and give an insight into how age-related limitations on driving can best be handled. The seminars are conducted in a relaxed, non-threatening and informative fashion. Four-hour and two-hour sessions are provided to senior groups or organisations on request.
In the past 12 months more than 25 sessions have been facilitated statewide through service clubs, senior citizens and Veterans Affairs.

Alicia O'Connor Road Safety Award
The 2003 Award was launched in February at Launceston College with assistance from college entrants and the Road Safety Task Force. Entries target young people between the ages of 15 and 25 as they constitute the highest crash risk age group. The Award challenges young people to produce a media piece depicting a road safety message they feel is relevant to their peers as a new driver, passenger, pedestrian or cyclist. In 2004 the Road Safety Task Force and Red Herring Surf will continue to highlight the Award to attract a wider array of individuals.

Keys Please seminars for learner drivers and their supervisors
In 2003/04 Road Safety Consultants continued to conduct over 40 Keys Please seminars at various schools and community groups around the State. The seminars form an integral part in supporting the recent changes to the novice driver licensing system, along with the requirements and procedure for novice drivers to gain their learner and provisional licence.
The sessions target learner drivers and their supervisors with the aim of educating the supervisor to provide a positive environment that allows the learner to experience a wide range of driving conditions and to assist them and their supervisor to develop a relationship that maximises learning outcomes. Consultants also assist with strategies to enable a learner driver's skills to reach a competent and safe stage.
Supervisory drivers are given tips on information to pass on to learner drivers at each stage of the learning process, including how to go about gaining as much experience as possible in all types of road, weather and traffic conditions.
A free information kit is provided with resources to help both the learner and supervisory driver.

Prescribed First Year Offenders’ Courses
Over the past 12 months the Road Safety Operations Branch has conducted over 25 Prescribed First Year Offenders’ Courses across the state. The courses are for first year drivers convicted of drink driving offences. Individuals attending the courses are referred by magistrates. A satisfactory standard of participation is a condition of licence reissue.
Road Safety Consultants determine the content of the courses, which are based on the document, Alcohol and Your Responsibilities as a Driver. Topics revolve around examining the legal and driver’s licence requirements pertaining to blood alcohol concentration when driving, consequences of drink driving, responsible consumption of alcohol and strategies for avoiding drink driving.

Pre Driver Awareness
The Pre Driver Awareness Program is conducted in about 90% of Tasmanian secondary schools, primarily Year 10. Road Safety Consultants work with schools and teachers to assist them in conducting the education program, often providing key resources, such as instructional videos, interactive CDs and print material.
The Pre Driver Awareness Program places emphasis on providing understanding of the licensing system, crash risk and understanding of physical, emotional, financial and legal crash consequences and the development of safe road use attitudes that can be applied to practical situations.

Cara Johnston – Road Safety Speaker
The Road Safety Operations Branch and the Road Safety Task Force were responsible for facilitating the return of international road safety speaker Cara Johnston to Tasmania in September 2003. Her lectures focus on risk-taking and positive ways to overcome difficult situations in which young people commonly find themselves. Her message and passion for road safety are inspired by the death of her identical twin sister in a high-speed motor vehicle crash one day after their 18th birthday. Cara Johnston spoke to an audience of over 1500 secondary students at Wrest Point, before heading to Guilford Young College, Claremont College and to the north of the state where another 500 students were present at her address.

Learner Licence Assistance Program
The Learner Licence Assistance Program has been developed to support community members genuinely in need of assistance to pass the Learner Licence test. The program provides opportunities for a range of clients, including people from culturally diverse backgrounds and those with low literacy levels or learning difficulties, to complete their Learner Licence test.
The program is facilitated by Road Safety Consultants or trained volunteers and is conducted in community settings.
Information and activity sessions are designed to cover the five sections of the test - Compulsory Questions, Road Rules, Signs & Parking, Intersections and Road Safety. Learning is undertaken in small groups which encourages individuals to utilise their strengths and avoid possible embarrassment. Participants are also encouraged to complete tasks at home. Testing is conducted in a group context and assistance is provided in reading and comprehension of both the questions and answers.

Community Involvement in Road Safety
The Community Road Safety Partnerships (CRSP) Program is a statewide initiative that promotes a community based approach to road safety responsibility and ownership in the community. The focus for CRSP is to address road safety issues at a local level through building partnerships with community organisations. The main emphasis of the CRSP program is to address high-risk road user behaviour, primarily through raising public awareness and conducting community education programs.
The fundamental principle of the CRSP program is to involve the community in all consultation, planning and delivery stages, while addressing road safety within the framework of the Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2002/06.
Some of the local Community Road Safety projects undertaken have included:

A mock crash involving Year 10 high school students in Kingborough;
A courtesy speed check trailer targeting urban speeding in Glenorchy;
A roadside crash marker program in the Glamorgan Spring Bay municipality;
Child restraint safety fitting sessions in Glenorchy and Kingborough;
A heavy vehicle consultative forum conducted in George Town;
Bike helmet safety awareness in St Helens and St Marys;
Support of migrant driver education through the Migrant Resource Centre and TAFE in Launceston; and
Turn Right, a novice driver education program targeting unlicensed drivers and disadvantaged and / or low literacy youth.
POLICY
Limits on bus and truck driving hours to reduce driver fatigue
Regulated limits on bus and truck driving hours were introduced in Tasmania in 1996. The National Transport Commission has been working closely with all jurisdictions in the development of the Fatigue Management Reform, as part of the Third Heavy Vehicle Reform Package. DIER has worked with other jurisdictions to develop this package which will shortly be submitted to Australia’s Transport Ministers for policy consideration.
At the State level, amendments to the Vehicle and Traffic (Vehicle Operations) Regulations 1999 have been drafted and were scheduled to come into force on 1 August 2004. These amendments will require all heavy truck drivers to keep a record of their work and drive time. This record will allow drivers, operators and authorised officers to identify any breaches of existing regulated driving hours. Compliance will provide a safer road environment for the drivers themselves and other road users.

Motorcycle Safety Strategy
A draft Motorcycle Safety Strategy has been developed and is under consideration. The draft Strategy contains over 75 initiatives to address motorcycle safety in Tasmania and was developed following significant community consultation. The draft Strategy is divided into four key areas for action: Working Together; Safer Motorcycles; Safer Roads; and Safer Riders. Key initiatives relate to changes to improve the current licensing and training system for motorcycle riders in Tasmania.

Review of Speed Zoning Practice and Establishment of a Speed Management Framework
Speed is a major contributor to road fatalities and serious injuries in Tasmania and nationally. A worldwide move is taking place to determine strategies for lowering travel speed in order to reduce the incidence and severity of crashes.
Speed zoning is a fundamental aspect of any speed management framework. The current review of Tasmania's Speed Zoning Practices is nearing completion and has included a thorough analysis of the existing system - including examination of crash patterns and community feedback - and an investigation of national research and best practice in speed zoning. There has also been consultation with key road safety stakeholders and the general public. The goal of the review is to develop a speed zoning system which is safe and easily understood.
An interim report has been submitted to the Tasmania Road Safety Council and work is continuing.

Additional Achievements for 2003/04
Legislative amendments
The Vehicle and Traffic Act 1999 was amended to cater for new photographic detection device technology. The amendments were made to ensure that the legislation is able to cope with changes in photographic detection devices technology now and in the future. The Act was also amended to facilitate efficiencies in the prosecution process of offences detected by photographic detection devices.

Increase in Penalties for Drivers Using Hand-held Mobile Phones
New penalties for drivers using hand-held mobile phones came into force on 1 October 2003. The new penalties of two (2) demerit points and a fine of $110 replace the previous penalty of nil demerit points and an $80 fine.
The new penalties were recommended by the Tasmanian Road Safety Council following consideration of research and interstate practices. National and international research indicates that a driver talking on a hand-held mobile phone is four times more likely to be involved in a crash. The new penalty was widely promoted with radio, press and bus back advertising.

Community awareness activities undertaken
Review of Speed Zoning and Signage
The Tasmanian Road Safety Council called for public comment on speed-related issues through newspaper advertisements, and received 130 responses. Targeted focus group testing in Hobart and Launceston on speed zoning issues was undertaken in October 2003.

Motorcycle Safety Strategy - October 2003
The then Minister for Infrastructure, Jim Cox, MHA, announced a 14-day comment period on the Draft Motorcycle Safety Strategy. The Draft Strategy was available by mail and posted on the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources website.

The Tasmanian Road Safety Council (TRSC)
The TRSC is the peak body in Tasmania advising the Minister for Infrastructure, Energy and Resources on road safety policy. The Council is currently chaired by Doug Parkinson, MLC and includes members from the RACT, Tasmania Police, Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources, the Coroner’s Office, a road safety expert from Monash University and a community representative.
The role of the TRSC is to:

Provide leadership in developing the Government’s road safety policy agenda;
Provide advice to the Minister on road safety policy and legislation; and
Undertake community consultation in relation to road safety policy and issues as appropriate.
In 2003/04 the TRSC:

steered the development of a draft Motorcycle safety strategy;
considered a range of issues relating to improving the speed zoning and signage system in Tasmania;
recommended the increase in penalties for mobile phone use while driving;
considered an interim study into the effectiveness of the older driving licensing system; and
undertook a review of the effectiveness of the 50km/h urban speed limit.
The recently established DIER Community Road Safety Partnership Program has also provided a new and improved opportunity for the TRSC to gather community feedback and seek comment on road safety issues.

Road Safety Task Force [RSTF]
The role of the RSTF is to develop, implement and monitor an integrated public education and enforcement program aimed at decreasing the number of fatalities and the number and severity of injuries on Tasmanian roads. This is achieved with funding by the Motor Accidents Insurance Board of $2.25 million a year between January 2003 and December 2005.
The RSTF is primarily involved in public education and traffic enforcement activities. The focus of the public education [advertising] campaign is driver behaviour including, speed, drink driving, inattention / distraction, fatigue and seatbelt compliance.
Major campaigns in 2003/04 included targeting low level speed with the message Just Five Less. To further reinforce this message, a licence was purchased from the Transport Accident Commission in Victoria for an advertisement from the Wipe Off 5 campaign featuring Dr Ian Johnston. Education campaigns supporting new legislation for mobile phone penalties and a vulnerable road user campaign focusing on motorcycle safety were also developed. In addition, existing drink drive, inattention and fatigue campaigns were delivered.

PERSONS KILLED OR INJURED IN ROAD CRASHES IN TASMANIA 1990 TO 2003

Severity	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
FATALITIES
Drivers	37	39	36	24	28	27	36	17	24	27	18	27	17	20
Passengers	15	18	27	19	16	12	17	10	10	17	11	16	4	7
Pedestrians	12	12	4	7	11	8	8	0	8	5	9	10	6	3
Motorcyclists	6	8	6	7	2	7	2	4	6	2	5	7	10	11
Pedal Cyclists	1	0	1	1	2	2	1	1	0	2	0	1	0	0
Sub-total	71	77	74	58	59	56	64	32	48	53	43	61	37	41
SERIOUS INJURIES
Drivers	255	236	219	234	244	242	204	184	187	206	230	198	224	188
Passengers	192	156	145	165	144	164	117	119	114	157	152	123	68	89
Pedestrians	73	66	63	58	63	52	62	52	60	53	47	43	45	33
Motorcyclists	66	65	51	58	61	61	44	48	50	60	75	93	74	64
Pedal Cyclists	23	16	17	17	13	17	22	23	27	17	12	13	9	14
Sub-total	609	539	495	532	525	536	449	426	438	493	516	470	420	388
MINOR INJURIES
Drivers	641	604	583	575	600	659	645	568	801	745	777	702	748	745
Passengers	418	438	414	392	430	429	362	369	427	460	399	383	378	403
Pedestrians	93	99	109	79	87	87	105	65	114	104	101	105	117	99
Motorcyclists	73	68	69	64	67	70	61	79	121	101	144	102	116	140
Pedal Cyclists	46	44	45	60	47	37	37	45	52	52	38	36	46	45
Sub-total	1,271	1,253	1,220	1,171	1,231	1,282	1,210	1,126	1,515	1,462	1,459	1,328	1,405	1,432
TOTAL	1,951	1,869	1,789	1,761	1,815	1,874	1,723	1,584	2,001	2,008	2,018	1,859	1,862	1,861

Source: Traffic Accident Database as at 12 May 2004.
Note: A small number of cases with incomplete data have been excluded from analyses.

AGE AND GENDER OF ROAD-USERS KILLED OR INJURED IN ROAD CRASHES IN TASMANIA 1995 TO 2003

Road-users killed Road-users injured

Category	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
MALE under 17	4	3	2	4	4	6	5	3	0	147	122	134	150	169	156	148	128	155
MALE 17-29	18	19	8	13	11	14	11	6	14	449	390	331	423	443	421	420	403	365
MALE 30-64	10	10	9	10	15	9	22	11	11	308	291	293	384	358	416	367	393	379
MALE over 64	7	6	4	5	5	4	7	2	10	68	66	83	87	70	68	71	67	88
TOTAL MALE	39	38	23	32	35	33	45	22	35	972	869	841	1044	1040	1061	1006	991	987
FEMALE under 17	0	3	1	0	4	2	0	0	1	102	93	112	104	128	146	121	116	112
FEMALE 17-29	4	7	4	7	6	4	4	4	1	313	294	255	344	370	312	310	302	296
FEMALE 30-64	4	8	4	6	5	3	9	10	2	306	398	272	355	350	407	312	358	351
FEMALE over 64	9	8	0	3	3	1	3	1	2	84	70	77	99	85	81	91	71	95
TOTAL FEMALE	17	26	9	16	18	10	16	14	6	805	755	716	902	933	946	834	848	854
OVERALL TOTAL	56	64	32	48	52	43	61	37	41	1777	1624	1557	1946	1973	2007	1840	1838	1841

Source: Traffic Accident Database as at 12 May 2004.

REGISTRATION AND LICENSING
During 2003/04, the Registration and Licensing Branch has continued to develop its series of key strategies designed to deliver business more efficiently in an effort to maximise road safety outcomes for the Tasmanian community.

Novice Driver Reform
Following the introduction of a minimum six months learner licence period with 50 logged driving hours and an internet-enabled interactive road rules knowledge test, other targeted and well received reforms have been introduced.
These include the introduction of a new higher standard on-road driving test. All testing officers now have nationally accredited qualifications and undertook extensive training in the new test. Supporting materials developed for the new driving test include a brochure sent to all learners and the handbook, Preparing for your Driving Test, available on the internet.
A new Road Rules Book and revised Car Learner Logbook replaced the Learner Driver Handbook. Both publications were designed and developed within the Branch and are for sale at Service Tasmania shops or can be downloaded from the internet. The Road Rules Book, which is targeted at all road users, explains many of the road rules through diagrams and without technical language. Its demand has been exceptional with a second edition printed six months earlier than anticipated.
The next set of reforms will include the introduction of a two-tiered car learner and provisional licensing system, an on-road solo driving test and a Supervisory Driver Handbook.

Unregistered/Uninsured Vehicles
Reducing the number of unregistered and uninsured vehicles on Tasmanian roads, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of enforcement activity, and reducing the incidents of the re-birthing of written-off vehicles are all high priorities for the Department.
To this end, the Department, in collaboration with its key partner, the MAIB, initiated the Unregistered and Uninsured Project. The project addresses concerns about the number of vehicles unregistered and uninsured and the potential risks these pose to the Tasmanian community.
Two Transport Inspectors are employed specifically on unregistered/uninsured activities designed to strategically target vehicles of interest. This includes the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology capable of detecting unregistered/uninsured vehicles in 1/5th of a second. ANPR technology was made available through the ongoing contributions of key partners, like MAIB.

Written-Off Vehicle Register
The Written-Off Vehicle Register is a nationwide initiative developed by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council in conjunction with all jurisdictions. The Register is a nationally coordinated database of vehicles assessed as written-off, aimed at preventing the re-birthing of stolen vehicles.
Similarly, the Department has substantially developed a link with CrimTrac, a national database dealing with stolen and recovered vehicles used by state-based Police departments. This project involves collecting information from both Tasmania Police and registration and licensing data and sending it in real time to CrimTrac. This will provide Tasmania Police with access to accurate and current information about stolen vehicles anywhere in Australia.

Heavy Vehicle Driver Licence Testing (HVDLT) Project
The Department has reviewed the delivery of heavy vehicle driver licence testing, in order to improve the standard and consistency of testing. During this process, the HVDLT Project worked closely and extensively with industry to develop a model appropriate to Tasmania.
Under the proposed model all heavy vehicle driver licence testing will be conducted:

solely by external service providers;
using standard testing instruments, based on nationally accepted standards; and
by people with appropriate qualifications and training, who also have relevant recent industry experience.
With the introduction of the new model, Police and Government testing officers will no longer be required to carry out heavy vehicle driver licence testing. Requests for Registrations of Interest for the provision of HVDLT will be advertised towards December 2004.

Enhancing the Identity of Offending Drivers
Making drivers more accountable for their driving behaviour is a priority for the Department.
This project is a sub-project of the Department of Justice’s Monetary Penalties Enforcement Project and DIER is working closely with the Departments of Justice and Police.
New processes will facilitate determining the identity of drivers of joint and corporate registered vehicles who commit offences. These measures will be put into effect on 1 January 2005, and will deliver significant efficiencies across the four agencies involved in the management of traffic infringement notices.

Business Improvements and Service Delivery
Business improvements and service delivery remain high on the agenda. The Business Process Review has been completed and work has begun on the implementation of the Review’s recommendations.
DIER continues working in collaboration with the Department of Premier and Cabinet in reviewing a number of projects that qualify for their Identification of Electronic and Additional Services (IDEAS) Program.

Digital Licences
Digital Licences were introduced in November 2001. The next stage is the introduction of instant issue of licences in major Service Tasmania centres. Instant issue will enable a digital licence to be produced over the counter. Extensive testing is now in the final stages and implementation will occur in the 2004/05 financial year.

National Fitness to Drive Standards
The Department has been actively involved throughout the combined Austroads/National Transport Commission project of reviewing the fitness to drive medical standards and clinical management guidelines. Tasmania introduced the new standards on 1 October 2003.

Motor Registry System
The Department completed 130 system changes to the Motor Registry System. Many of these were initiated to facilitate business processes within the Department and for major stakeholders. The Department conducted statewide training in the changes to business practices and processes for service providers, particularly Service Tasmania.

Working with the Motor Registry (MR) Project
The MR Project involves a major redevelopment of the Motor Registry System. Close working relationships have been developed with the MR Project. This partnership will continue through the three-year life of the Project during the development and implementation of all Business Initiatives.

Hire and Drive Vehicles
In November 2003 the Department consulted with major hire and drive companies to ensure that interstate-registered vehicles were not being used in Tasmania for longer than the allowable period of three months. Around 180 of these vehicles have now been transferred to Tasmanian registration. The Department will continue periodic audits to ensure the level of compliance is maintained.

Tender – Registration and Licence forms
The Department has begun work on a tender for the supply and production of registration certificates (including labels) and licence application forms. The tender will also cover printing, mailing services and the storage and distribution of forms for Service Tasmania shops and participating police stations. It is expected that the tender will be completed by late 2004.

Transport Enquiry Service
The telephone Transport Enquiry Service provides information to a range of clients on registration and licensing matters, including support for Vehicle Operations and Passenger Transport issues at the rate of up to 1,000 calls a day. The Service has relocated from 10 Murray Street to 188 Collins Street, Hobart.

Statistical Information

Licensed Drivers in Tasmania

Class of Licence	As at 30 June 2004
Learner	16,388
Provisional	15,781
Full	303,576

Current Tasmanian Registrations

Vehicle Type	As at 30 June 2004
Cars and Station Wagons	262,737
Motor Cycles	8,828
Trailers and Caravans	82,054
Others	98,794

   
TRAFFIC STANDARDS
Management of Federal Government Black Spot Program
The Black Spot Program reduces road trauma by providing funding for physical improvements on State and Council roads. Potential schemes can be nominated by members of the public, community groups and local government.
Traffic Standards identifies and justifies schemes through detailed analysis of the reported crash history. Traffic Standards personnel also use safety audit methodology to assess sites and identify crash counter-measures where there is no established crash history but low cost works can substantially reduce risk. Traffic Standards consulted extensively with road owners before presenting the list of candidate projects to the Tasmanian Black Spot Consultative Panel. This year 16 projects were approved for funding from the Tasmanian allocation of $1.116 million.

Management of Road Safety and Traffic Management Program
The Road Safety and Traffic Management Program funds improvements to the State maintained road network and comprises:

Safer Roads schemes to reduce the number and severity of crashes; and
Traffic Management and signage schemes to address mobility and amenity concerns.
DIER's Traffic Standards Branch sources candidate projects in two ways:
proactively, through systematic analysis of the reported crash history and on-site audits; and
reactively, through investigation of suggestions from members of the public and community groups.
Traffic Standards specified the works to be carried out on a number of projects during the year and provisionally identified some of the larger schemes to be included in future years. Completed works include junction upgrades, roadside hazard reductions and signage improvements.
Traffic Standards has followed a similar process in identifying and specifying required works on the National Highway. The works have resulted in similar types of improvement to the State funded roads.

Roadside Hazard Management Code of Practice
Run-off-the-road crashes tend to be of higher severity than most crashes and roadside hazards have been estimated to be a factor in 40% of Tasmania’s fatal road crashes.
Traffic Standards supervised a consultancy by ARRB Transport Research Ltd that produced a Code of Practice for keeping vehicles on the road and safely dealing with errant vehicles. A report was also prepared which discussed the most effective way of improving safety on the existing road network.
Traffic Standards organised a workshop where road owners and other key stakeholder groups were given the opportunity to comment on the draft Code of Practice.

Tourism Route Signage Upgrade Program
Visitor travel within Tasmania is increasing and a new initiative has been created to upgrade regulatory, warning and directional signs on key tourist routes to enhance road user safety and convenience.
Traffic Standards has developed a signing standard that will provide a consistent and predictable driving environment. Personnel participated in the assessment and upgrading of signage on the Lyell Highway at a cost of $100,000.

Other activities

Traffic Standards identifies and documents best practice traffic management and promotes its use to Tasmanian road owners. In the last year, it produced Technical Advice Sheets which, among other topics, provide guidance on centre of the road markings, gravel road warning signage and a new style sign to address complaints regarding truck noise.
Traffic Standards staff were instrumental in providing exemption certificates from the Road Rules to ensure that a Glenorchy Apex 'Santa Claus' could be carried legally and safely in the back of a trailer while handing out Christmas gifts to children in 2003.
For the development and completion of the second significant amendments package affecting the Australian Road Rules, Traffic Standards staff were instrumental in contributing towards a national maintenance process aimed at ensuring road rules are up to date, clearly reflect the intended policy and are free from anomalies. The formal maintenance process is ongoing.
VEHICLE OPERATIONS
Improved Communication and Consultation with Clients
A forum was held with key heavy vehicle and bus operators to discuss various changes being proposed on heavy vehicle roadworthiness issues. This included the release of draft National Heavy Vehicle Inspection Guidelines that will considerably improve industry knowledge of vehicle inspections. Planning has begun for heavy vehicle roadworthiness information days to help industry with the proposed changes.
There were displays at shows such as Agfest, to promote awareness of standards and safety.
Work has been finalised to enable the release of the Light Vehicle Inspection Manual that will improve the knowledge of light vehicle inspections for Approved Inspection Station examiners.

Introduction of Transport Operator Accreditation
Mass Management Accreditation, which is part of the National Heavy Vehicle Accreditation Scheme, was introduced on 1 December 2002. As at 1 June 2004, there were 114 heavy vehicle transport operators who had mass management accreditation. Passenger Transport Accreditation is well established.

Enforcement Strategy for Road Transport in Tasmania
Officers continue to investigate and report on all heavy vehicle incidents. Data gathered from these reports is being used to help review current enforcement strategy to ensure the best road safety outcomes are achieved. There will be a greater focus on enforcement to help reduce incidents associated with driver fatigue and vehicle maintenance.
The Department has continued with fleet call-ins of heavy vehicles where strong evidence of poor maintenance is available. This approach has proven to be an effective way of achieving significant changes, as most of the affected operators react to the call-in by putting better service and maintenance systems in place.

Rail Safety
The Department is responsible for the administration of the Rail Safety Act 1997 and the Rail Safety Regulations 1999, which require railway owners and operators in Tasmania to be rail safety accredited. To ensure accredited operators provide a safe and proper railway operation and comply with legislation and Australian Standards, the Department requires ongoing compliance audits and inspections. During 2003/04, eleven railway operators were accredited or are in the process of achieving accreditation. These include the major freight operator, a tourist railway carrying over 50,000 passengers during 2003 and nine smaller heritage style railways.

During the year an external audit was undertaken to assess the administration of rail safety functions. In response to the audit, rail safety was transferred from the Infrastructure Policy Division to the Land Transport Safety Division in March 2004. Another initiative resulting from the audit was the development and implementation of contemporary risk management processes for Tasmanian railway operators.

Under the Inter-Governmental Agreement on Rail Safety and the current National Rail Reform process administered through the National Transport Commission, the Department is liaising with other States and the Commonwealth on rail safety matters. The rail reform agenda involves the introduction of national standards and guidelines, agreed to through the Australian Transport Council process, to provide a uniform and consistent approach to rail safety throughout Australia. The Department is working in close partnership with the Tasmanian railway industry to introduce these reforms and increase the skills and knowledge of all those involved in the safe operation of railways in Tasmania.

Driving Hour Records
Officers had significant input into the development of new regulations to introduce driving hour records. These are now well advanced and were scheduled to be in place by 1 August 2004.

Defective Heavy Vehicles
A data base has been developed to help better detect those heavy vehicle operators who receive too many vehicle defect notices for the vehicles they operate. This will enable the Department to specifically contact those operators and work with them to help them improve their vehicle roadworthiness standards.

Engine Brake Noise – Southern Outlet, Hobart
Officers played a significant role in a heavy vehicle engine brake noise survey on the Southern Outlet in Hobart. This included the inspection of those heavy vehicles identified as being the most noisy and working with industry to trial new mufflers. This has led to a significant reduction in the noise level of trucks using the outlet.

Wind Farm Escorts
Transport Inspectors provided an unprecedented large number of escorts to help the movement of wind farm components to Woolnorth on the North-West Coast.

Occupational Health and Safety
A review of remote bus inspection sites is well advanced and changes will be implemented in consultation with industry. A major review of operational procedures for Transport Inspectors is well advanced. This will lead to the updating of OH&S guidelines covering activities undertaken by Transport Inspectors.

Community awareness activities

Officers spoke at the Livestock Transport Association annual conference.
Transport Inspectors attended Agfest.
A "hot line" is maintained for transport operators and the motoring public to obtain answers to vehicle technical questions.
Officers spoke to taxi and luxury hire car operators on matters of concern at the Launceston Airport.
Officers spoke at the Tasmanian Safety Seminar 2004.

STATISTICAL RESULTS:

YEAR	2000/01	2001/02	2002/03	2003/04*
Registered vehicles over 4.5 t GVM	13,341	13,195	13,445	13,896
Roadside checks	10,772	16,273	16,204	8,495
Total defect notices	1,781	3,049	2,607	2,366
% Defective	16.53	18.74	16.09	27.85
Total vehicles checked	18,348	27,870	28,045	13,442
% vehicles inspected	137.53	211.22	208.59	96.73
Total weighings	16,978	23,088	22,332	8,356
Traffic Infringement Notices	804	703	819	531
% vehicles overweight	4.74	3.04	3.67	6.35
Total unregistered inspections	96,176	105,142	136,599	121,594
Total unregistered detected	1,490	1,399	1,127	744
% unregistered	1.55	1.33	0.83	0.61

        

* 2003/04 variations are due to the following factors (individual or combined):
- Transport Inspectors employed on higher priority activities
- targeted instead of random inspections,
- introduction of a new weighsite adjustment and target weighings;
- increased compliance