RACQ was formed in 1905 with the aim of establishing a strong voice for Queensland motorists, representing their interests to all levels of government, industry and the general public.
One of its first achievements was to produce and install much needed road signage to ensure the State’s motoring pioneers could find their way safely on a primitive road network designed for horse and carriage.
More than a century later, the fundamental objective of RACQ’s advocacy on behalf of members remains safe, affordable and sustainable motoring.
In pursuit of this objective, the club works diligently with industry and governments to deliver positive outcomes for motorists, while engaging all forms of media to provide a wide range of advice, warnings and assistance to Queenslanders.
An example of the club influencing road safety legislation came in the form of new child restraint laws, which were introduced in March 2010. RACQ worked closely with Queensland Transport in the development of the legislation after club research in 2006 showed almost half of Queensland’s four-to-seven year olds travelling in cars were not properly restrained.
In 2008, the club undertook field tests that revealed Brisbane’s morning peak hour traffic increased fuel consumption and greenhouse emissions by around 30 percent. The tests demonstrated that any serious effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the road transport sector must include effective congestion-relieving measures.
It was a win for motorists and for the environment when the Queensland Government’s Climate Q strategy, released in July 2009, cited the RACQ’s research and included $39.3 million for initiatives to improve traffic flow for reduced emissions.
In conjunction with other state-based motoring groups, RACQ delivers highly influential national safety programs, such as the Australian Road Assessment Program (AusRAP) and the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
AusRAP provides a safety rating for roads across Australia, in order to show governments how well, or badly, their roads are performing in terms of serious injury crashes and fatalities. The program has played a direct role in countless road funding initiatives, including the $42.5 million New England Highway upgrade in 2008.
ANCAP gives consumers consistent information on the level of occupant protection provided by vehicles in serious front and side crashes. Where ANCAP rates the safety of new vehicles, the RACQ also contributes to the Used Car Safety Ratings (UCSR) program that provides car buyers with safety information on used vehicles based on actual crash history.
In 2000, then-Premier Peter Beattie announced plans to abolish Queensland’s unique fuel subsidy and was forced to back down after RACQ led a coalition of motoring industry groups in opposing the imposition of a fuel tax.
However, in May 2009, Premier Anna Bligh announced the 8.35 cents a litre subsidy would be scrapped. Again, RACQ took steps to reverse the decision and created the Fight the Fuel Tax campaign, supported by a number of other key stakeholder groups such as Commerce Queensland and the Queensland Trucking Association.
With 140,000 signatures collected in just three weeks, the petition supporting retention of the state’s fuel subsidy was by far the largest in Queensland’s 150-year history. While economic pressures as a result of the Global Financial Crisis caused the campaign to be ultimately unsuccessful, it demonstrated RACQ’s ability to engage the Queensland public and key stakeholders on behalf of members.
These examples highlight RACQ’s ongoing efforts to represent the motoring interests of our 1.2 million members and their families.
If you would like to know more about RACQ's advocacy objectives, see Advocacy for Motorists.
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter