In Australia, the likelihood of dying in a traffic crash is 24 times higher, and the risk of being seriously injured and hospitalised from such an incident is 63 times greater than the risk from a major weather event.
Additionally, there has been a 10% increase in road deaths in Australia over the last year, with 1286 people losing their lives.
The Albanese Labor government’s plan to introduce legislation aimed at reducing carbon emissions from vehicles will result in lower prices and greater availability of lower-emission cars, like the 1-star-rated Chinese-made Skyworth EV6 currently sold in Europe and America, and higher costs for combustion engine vehicles like the 5-star safety-rated Ford Ranger.
Given that the proposed emission standards will not in any way affect the frequency of major weather events and that promoting and prioritizing access to 5-star safety-rated vehicles would save lives and help prevent the carnage on our roads today, this policy stands as a great example of a government focused on dangerous ideology and not the welfare of its citizens.