The New South Wales government is launching a $400 million road safety campaign across the state, with hundreds of initiatives aimed at reducing road trauma and saving lives.

Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, said the Federal and NSW governments were working hard to ensure that work began immediately and was completed by June, allowing people to return home faster and in safer conditions.

“As someone who proudly lives, works and has raised a family in regional NSW, I know just how important safe, efficient road connections are to local communities,” Mr McCormack said.

“That’s why we are rolling out this funding to deliver lifesaving upgrades including shoulder sealing, rumble strips to alert drivers when they are moving out of their lane, median upgrades to prevent head-on collisions and barriers to prevent run-off-road crashes and protect against roadside hazards. This investment won’t just save lives, it will also provide a shot in the arm to local economies as we come back from the COVID-19 recession, with these projects expected to support more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs.”

Safety barriers, rumble strips, and wide center lines are among the initiatives being implemented as part of the program to save lives, according to NSW Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Paul Toole.

“As part of this investment, 261 priority projects will be delivered across NSW – 150 of these on regional roads, building on our vision of a safer, stronger regional NSW,” Mr Toole said.

“These projects will help prevent the loss of more than 538 lives and serious injuries on our roads over the project life – that’s the difference between 538 people making it home safely to their families at the end of the day.”

Andrew Constance, NSW Minister for Transport and Roads, stated that investing in safer roads benefits local employment, the economy, and communities.

“NSW is a booming state and our urban environments are becoming busier, particularly around shopping centres, entertainment and sporting precincts, hospitals, education facilities and transport interchanges,” Mr Constance said. 

“Both governments have a shared goal of no deaths or serious injuries on our roads, because no one should have to hear the devastating news that a loved one has lost their life in a crash.”

Scott Buchholz, the Assistant Minister for Road Safety and Freight Transport, said that nothing was more crucial than ensuring that drivers returned home safely to their families after each road trip.

“Whether it’s just a quick trip to the shops or a truckie’s long-haul journey from a business hub to markets, we want to ensure drivers get home safely,” Mr Buchholz said.

“That’s why our government takes road safety seriously, investing in critical projects like these to help prevent crashes, making a real difference to the day-to-day lives of Australians by providing safer, smoother journeys and greater peace of mind.”

The Road Safety Program is funded by the Federal Government and is subject to "use it or lose it" requirements. It will provide life-saving treatments on regional roads and protect vulnerable road users in NSW, while also maintaining local employment and offering a welcome boost to local economies.

The 'use it or lose it' requirements force states and territories to use their ostensibly allocated funds within a certain timeline, or the funds will be reallocated to other jurisdictions' projects.

To finance the state-wide improvements under tranche one, the federal government has pledged up to $300 million and the NSW government has committed an additional $108.2 million.

For more information on the Federal Government’s road safety initiatives, visit www.officeofroadsafety.gov.au.