By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
DRIVERLESS cars and improved road and vehicle technology coupled with driver education will be the main means of reducing the road toll in the future, according to Geelong’s new head of the TAC.
The organisation’s head of community relations, Joe Calafiore, has been appointed new chief executive, replacing the retiring Janet Dore.
Mr Calafiore, who was raised in Geelong’s northern suburbs, said technological advances held exciting potential to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries.
“Insurers know that if they could put everyone in a five-star car today it would cut road trauma by a third overnight,” he said.
“And that’s with today’s technology. Some of the initiatives in three to five years’ time will have enormous potential in road safety.
“Ideas like vehicle-to-vehicle communications, automatic braking and even driverless cars have the opportunity for a very significant reduction in road trauma.
“It’s not a matter of if but when it will happen in Australia.”
Mr Calafiore said the highest risk drivers – young men – were in the oldest cars while the most-experienced drivers – often their parents – were in the best-equipped cars.
“We know we can’t wave a magic wand and change that but we’re asking ourselves how we put pressure on parents when they’re looking at what car to give their kids.”
Mr Calafiore said TAC was partnering VicRoads in developing a road safety experience centre that would be a “genuine world first”.
“We have a greater ambition about what we can achieve in road safety and an implementation of a driver education model.
“Although it’s in its in embryonic stages, a road safety experience centre would engage with young people and become part of the licensing and training process.
“Unless we try some new things we’ll only see gradual improvement. But we don’t want gradual improvement – we cannot sit back and let 250 people a year die on the roads.”
Mr Calafiore wanted the TAC to play a broader role in the regional economy, especially with Geelong’s National Disability Insurance Agency office and WorkSafe headquarters, arriving next year.
“That’s a tangible example of the momentum started by TAC and that’s just the start.
“There are many opportunities in social insurance that we can build through our presence in Geelong.”
