Michael McCormack backs lower speeds in congested areas

The Morrison government supports lower speeds in areas with ‘high volumes’ of pedestrians, ­cyclists and aged or frail people.

‘The primary focus of the Aust­ralian government’s road safety efforts is to reduce deaths and serious injuries’: Michael McCormack. Picture: AAP

Nationals leader Michael McCormack says “lower travel speeds can ­result in lower emissions from ­vehicles”, and the Morrison government supports slowing down cars in areas with “high volumes” of pedestrians, ­cyclists and aged or frail people.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister, who was slated to travel to Sweden­ next month to sign a road safety declaration in Stockholm, said his department had no ­“influence” in the drafting of the document.

Mr McCormack came under pressure in December after The Weekend Australian revealed the draft declaration endorsed a 30km/h limit on suburban roads in response to “traffic injuries, air quality and climate change”.

He said that the consultation draft called for a maximum 30km/h speed limit in “areas where vulnerable road users and vehicles mix in a frequen­t and planned manner” but allowed for higher speeds where there was evidence it would be safe.

“Lower travel speeds can result­ in lower emissions from vehicles­ but only if traffic-slowing measures maintain smooth drivin­g and do not result in more ­acceleration,” Mr McCormack said.

“The primary focus of the Aust­ralian government’s road safety efforts is to reduce deaths and serious injuries.

“The Australian government supports lowered speed limits to reduce the risk of harm in areas where there are high volumes of pedestrians, cyclists and aged or frail people, such as around aged-care facilities and hospitals, along with schools and childcare centres.”

He said evidence showed that the “risk is reduced in these areas with a lowered speed limit”.

“However, where there is traffic­ control infrastructure, 50km/h to 60km/h may be more appropriate,” he said. “The Australian government, as members and chair of the Transport and Infrastruct­ure Council, along with the community, are working determinedly ­towards a target of zero road ­fatalities by 2050.”

The Weekend Australian under­­stands Mr McCormack was expected to travel to Sweden for the two-day Global Ministerial Con­ference on Road Safety on February 19 and 20.

The Transport Minister said Australia would send a represent­ative but he would attend only if his schedule allowed him to.

The signing of the declaration, which will be referred to the UN, comes after Scott Morrison ­delivered a speech last year urging Australia to “avoid any reflex towards a negative globalism that coercively seeks to impose a ­mandate from an often ill-defined borderless global community”.

The draft Stockholm declaration includes a preamble re­commend­ing the integration of road safety with UN Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action, gender equality and reduced inequalities targets.

The Australian Automobile Association warned last year about government inaction on the national road safety strategy.

It released analysis showing that only nine of 33 individual safety performance indicators were “on track” to be met.