Introduction

Road safety is one of Western Australia’s most serious public health issues. Each year, around 200 people die on WA roads and over 3,000 are hospitalized.1 Road safety requires a comprehensive approach focusing on all aspects of the safe system: safe vehicle, safe drivers, safe roads and roadsides, and safe speeds.

The Healthy Roads Project, funded through the Road Trauma Trust Account, aims to develop an advocacy framework that value-adds to the work conducted by the Office of Road Safety in reducing deaths and serious injuries on our roads. The advocacy framework is a special project for the Public Health Advocacy Institute of Western Australia (PHAIWA) and fits within the overall strategic direction of the Institute and its broad range of partners.

Through its advocacy framework, the Healthy Roads project aims to:

• develop an understanding of the need for road safety advocacy among public health leaders, organisations, and individuals;
• foster capacity building and knowledge sharing for road safety advocacy among public health leaders, organisations, and individuals, as well as across all levels of government; and
• establish partnerships across a range of public health organisations to develop and deliver advocacy in support of road safety.

Advocacy strategies can be implemented across a range of road safety issues to effectively reduce death and serious injury on Western Australian roads.

Reference

1. Western Australia Police. (2010). Western Australia Police fatal traffic crashes and fatalities 2009. Available here.