RAC questioned over funding intentions after South West Safer Speeds trial falls flat

The City of Busselton’s withdrawal from a planned partnership with RAC WA has raised questions about why the insurer was forging ahead with its plan despite not seeking State Government funding.

Industry sources told the Times many had questioned why the RAC had not sought funding for safety initiatives for its Safer Speeds Trial through the Road Safety Commission, given public money was available.

RAC instead pledged $1 million of its own funds to the trial of lower speed limits on Capes roads at a time when consumers were hitting out over increasing premiums and charges for the insurer’s products.

Those questions were amplified after Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner declined to wholeheartedly support RAC’s sole focus on speed as the biggest determining factor in crashes.

“Speed management is a complex issue and there are different ways of achieving this outcome,” Mr Warner told the Times in December.

“Reducing posted speed limits is only one option so long as enough people comply with the changes.”

RAC external relations general manager Will Golsby pointed to multiple projects the insurer funded itself as “common practice”.

He did not explain why State Government funding was not sought, and talked instead about RAC’s “support” for the trial it launched itself.

“As a purpose-led member organisation, RAC has a proud history of supporting initiatives that aim to help save lives and stop serious injuries on WA roads,” he said.

“These initiatives include a focus on regional WA, where 60 per cent of road fatalities tragically occur year on year.

“RAC has chosen to fund the proposed Safer Speeds Trial to measure the road safety benefits of speed limit reductions and develop an evidence-based blueprint we hope will encourage governments to consider similar initiatives in future.”

The RAC did not respond to criticisms it had overstepped its role at a time when consumers were unhappy with increasing premiums.

Busselton residents overwhelmingly opposed the city’s participation in the trial because data showed factors including fatigue and driver inattention contributed to crashes as well as speed.

That Main Roads reportedly told city of Busselton chiefs any trialled speed limit cuts were unlikely to be reversed after the three-year trial was also seen as a major blow to the project’s credibility.

Busselton Mayor Phill Cronin said the city consulted residents first in 2022, but when the RAC’s “more ambitious methodology . . . looked at almost all roads within the city”, he said “the overwhelming community opposition to the ‘whole-of-network’ approach was clear”.