About the Vulnerable Road User Program (VRUP)
The Vulnerable Road User Program (also known as the VRUP) is a program that aims to improve road safety outcomes in Tasmania by:
- Reducing the number of crashes that occur between vulnerable road users and vehicles in our urban areas.
- Reducing the severity (level of injury) when a crash does occur.
The VRUP is a key initiative of theTowards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 and Towards Zero Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2017‑2026. The VRUP provides grant funding to Tasmanian local governments to implement infrastructure treatments that best achieve the aim of the program.
Funding is awarded to successful applications through a competitive grant funding process administered by the Department of State Growth.
Funding for the VRUP is provided by the Road Safety Levy and projects are also supported by in-kind contributions and co-contributions from local governments (as applicants).
The VRUP was introduced in 2013-14. In 2021, the VRUP was also supported by a $4.6 million co-contribution from the Australian Government through Tasmania’s funding allocation under Tranche 1 of the Australian Government's Road Safety Program.
1Why this program?
Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and cyclists (commonly known as ‘vulnerable road users’) have a high risk of being severely injured in a crash with a motor vehicle. This is because vulnerable road users have little or no physical protection to absorb crash energy when a crash occurs.
Under the Safe System approach to road safety, the management and design of the road system is aimed at avoiding the impact of energy on the human body.
Secondly, the approach aims to ensure that energy is managed at tolerable levels by influencing impact speeds, mass, and crash angles to reduce crash injury severity.
2Why a program for local government?
Local government is pivotal in reducing the level of fatal and serious injuries on Tasmanian roads in support of the Towards Zero Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2017‑2026 and the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030.
In Tasmania, local government-owned roads make up about 80 per cent of the Tasmanian road network. This is roughly 14 500km of road, of which about 3 800km is in urban areas.
The VRUP focuses on supporting local governments, as local governments are often best-placed to identify problems on their road network and engage their community to action appropriate solutions.
In practice, this means that local governments are well positioned to implement infrastructure treatments that align to best practice, solve specific road safety problems in their local areas, and support their communities’ needs.
3Fact sheet
For a short overview of the VRUP, please read the Vulnerable Road User Program fact sheet (PDF 74kb).