What is the Black Spot Program?
The Black Spot Program is a proactive initiative that aims to reduce the national road toll under the National Road Safety Action Plan 2018–2020.
The Australian Government has committed an additional $50 million per year from 2019-20 to the Black Spot Program as part of the Local and State Government Road Safety Package announced in the 2019-20 Budget,
Road crashes are a major cost to Australians every year. Black Spot projects target those road locations where crashes are occurring. By funding measures such as traffic signals and roundabouts at dangerous locations, the program reduces the risk of crashes.
Twenty-four dangerous crash sites across South Australia will be fixed under the latest round of the Black Spot Program. The 24 Black Spot projects across South Australia would make an important contribution towards reducing serious injuries and deaths on South Australian roads.
“The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics has found that, on average, Black Spot projects reduce the number of crashes causing death and injury by 30 per cent,”.
What makes a site eligible for Black Spot Program funding?
Funding is mainly available for the treatment of Black Spot sites, or road lengths, with a proven history of crashes. Project proposals should be able to demonstrate a benefit to cost ratio of at least 2 to 1.
For individual sites such as intersections, mid-block or short road sections, there should be a history of at least three casualty crashes over a five-year period. For lengths of road, there should be an average of 0.2 casualty crashes per kilometre per annum over the length in question over five years.
The requirement of a history of crashes ensures that those sites that have a recurrent problem are targeted first for treatment.
The Black Spot Program also recognises that there are road locations that could be considered as 'accidents waiting to happen'. Therefore, some program funds may be used to treat sites where road traffic engineers have completed a Road Safety Audit and found that remedial work is necessary. This allows an opportunity for proactive safety works to be undertaken before casualties occur.
Funds cannot be used for the purchase of road-building plant or equipment, or for operational or maintenance costs.
