EDITORIAL COMMENT:
One of the dubious advantages of being a bike rider is that we get to see up close just how bad some drivers are.
If we survive that experience our next move is to ask – sometimes out loud – how that individual obtained a licence, and then to inwardly plot what could be done to ensure they lose it.
Now, help could be on the way as national and state governments move to reform driver licensing and give the system a greater focus on putting safer drivers on the road.
Currently licensing is the responsibility of the states and territories, with separate policy and legislation. These are cats that don’t like being herded.
But they have become interested in some level of harmonisation, especially with the recent success of national initiatives such as graduated licensing schemes and the national heavy vehicle competencies.
Austroads, the association of the Australian and New Zealand transport agencies, has delivered a Driver Licensing Directions Statement and brokered an agreement between the states that they will move towards collaboration.
The move has been carefully described as an “overarching aspirational approach to reducing road trauma which is cost effective, efficient, and utilises measures (including training, assessment, sanctions, transitions through driver/rider life cycle) founded on accepted models such as Safe System, without unduly compromising personal mobility and independence of the community”.
Five principles underpin the development:
1: Safety - Drivers/motorcycle riders are skilled and approach driving/riding with attitudes that support road safety.
2: Consistency - There are uniform licence rules and sanctions.
3: Efficiency - Administration effort is minimised.
4: Accuracy - Drivers/riders and vehicles are accurately identified, and fraud is minimised.
5: Protection - Vulnerable and higher risk drivers/riders are supported.
A report by Austroads fills in the details.
https://austroads.com.au/publications/registration-and-licensing/ap-g107-24
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