The Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) Policy Statement on iRAP Star Ratings provides a great template for all countries and organisations seeking to optimise infrastructure safety and reduce the burden of road trauma, as well as for all AusRAP and Austroads’ partners in Australia, and KiwiRAP partners in New Zealand.

A key challenge in improving road safety and striving for zero road trauma lies in effectively identifying and addressing high-risk road infrastructure. Star ratings provide a valuable framework for assessing road safety performance and improving road safety outcomes.

Recommended policy actions

1. Infrastructure star ratings to be implemented as a tool for decision-making and resource allocation to meet or exceed UN Global Target for 75 per cent of travel for each individual road user group on 3-star or better roads by 2030.
2. Timely reporting of before-and-after star ratings for all road user groups as part of all major road investments.
3. Publication of regular star rating results and annual crash risk mapping as part of routine asset management data collection initiatives.
4. Develop and implement national targets using star ratings for all road users that integrates with Movement and Place concepts.
5. Work towards a long-term vision of a road network where all travel occurs on 3-star or better roads by 2050, with higher targets for 4 and 5-star performance in high-demand areas (e.g. 5-star for pedestrians and cyclists in city centres and high-use areas and 5-star for motorised vehicles on high volume national highways).
6. Link with iRAP global activities to integrate infrastructure star ratings and risk maps into satellite navigation systems (e.g. use of star-rated maps) for safest route and mode choice and associated trip planning.
7. Advocate for the application of the fit-for-purpose RAP methods (e.g. AiRAP, Network Screening Tools and LG Stars) at a strategic network level, especially for local roads.

Agreed actions for the College

1. To advocate for the recommended policy actions.
2. Collaborate with governments and stakeholders on star ratings initiatives and raise awareness of their benefits and limitations in improving road safety.
3. Promote transparency and accountability in the development and implementation of road infrastructure star ratings.
4. Engage with road users (e.g. drivers, logistics companies, health and safety advisors and others relying on the road as a workplace) for safe route planning using star rating information.
5. Recognise and celebrate high performing roads that have improved the star rating to 3-star or better performance.
6. Initiate and support workshops at all Chapters to build capacity in understanding star ratings, risk maps, safer road investment plans and their role in informing policy and investment decisions.
7. Seek funding and sponsorships to establish a national outreach program or awareness campaign to widely disseminate information about star ratings to various road user groups, professional associations, community groups and the media.
8. Participate in international outreach programs organised by iRAP and its partners.
9. Collaborate with national research institutions and bodies such as the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Universities, national third party insurers, workplace health and safety authorities to secure funding for research and audits to refine and improve the program as part of the global iRAP Innovation Framework.

The ACRS is the region’s peak membership association for road safety with a vision of eliminating death and serious injury on the road. Its members include experts from all areas of road safety including policy makers, health and transport professionals, academics, community organisations, researchers, federal, state and local government agencies, private companies and members of the public. The purpose of the ACRS is to support its members in their efforts to eliminate serious road trauma through knowledge sharing, professional development, networking and advocacy.

The policy statement supports the Australian Road Assessment Programme (AusRAP) Strategy and Business Plan which outlines 12 targets geared towards supporting Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy objective of ensuring that at least 80 per cent of travel occurs on roads with a 3-star rating or higher by 2030. In a bid to enhance road safety nationally, Australia’s states and territories will publish updated AusRAP star ratings for all major arterial roads by 2025.

It also supports New Zealand’s 2030 Road to Zero Strategy that includes safety performance indicators for the percentage of vehicle kilometres travelled on the country’s rural network that have a 3-star rating or better.

Infrastructure header image: Josh Withers, Pexels