Readability of Australian Road Safety Information for the General Public

Abstract

This research was conducted as a result of the authors becoming aware of the Australasian College of Road Safety (ACRS) submission to the National Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030. The ACRS submission outlined six key elements, one of which suggested that the National Road Safety Strategy should include 'Publication in easily consumable form, for the public, of infrastructure safety star ratings for all road users' (ACRS, 2021, p.61). This prompted the researchers to consider the road safety information provided to the general public about driving behaviour. Forty excerpts from online data from one Australian State's road safety website were assessed for readability using an online tool. Fifteen additional excerpts from another three States were assessed to ensure consistency across Australia. Results indicated that the excerpts assessed were written at a readability level that is too high for almost half of the Australian public. Recommendations include that those producing road safety information consider the level of literacy across the general public and ensure that their work becomes increasingly accessible to more Australians. The limitations of readability are acknowledged in relation to the overall communications which often include pictures and/or diagrams.