National Road Safety Week 2018
3 May 2018
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK 2018
Federal Member for Wide Bay, Co Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Road Safety, and Queensland Chair of the Black Spot Road Program Llew O’Brien, today said National Road Safety Week, from 30 April to 6 May 2018 reminds everyone to drive safely on the road.
In 2017, 1227 people were killed and 35,000 seriously injured on Australian roads. National Road Safety Week honours those we have lost and pledges to make the roads safer for everyone.
“National Road Safety Week is a great initiative of Peter Frazer and the SARAH Group (Safer Australian Roads And Highways),” Mr O’Brien said.
“Peter understands the devastation that road trauma brings and is committed to ensuring our roads are safer for all motorists. I encourage everyone to support Peter’s efforts to improve road safety by signing the SARAH Group’s pledge “to drive so others survive” by visiting the website www.sarahgroup.org.”
Mr O’Brien said road safety is everyone’s business and while new investments in better roads, cars, and design standards are being made, driver error remains the greatest risk on the road.
“Some good progress is being made with the Liberal Nationals Government’s $6.6 million investment in the Australasian New Car Assessment Program to test, assess and provide consumers with information about vehicle safety, and road projects like the recently announced Cooroy to Curra Section D realignment will save lives into the future,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Roads are being engineered and constructed to higher standards, vehicles are being manufactured according to the safest designs and being equipped with the latest technologies, and law enforcement is out there every day maintaining a strong presence to make sure people do the right on the road.
“But in spite of all of this and all of the best intentions, driver error remains the greatest risk to road safety.
“The best way we can minimise that risk and ensure, as drivers, we are safe as possible on our roads, is to observe the Fatal Five rule.
- Always wear a seatbelt.
- Never speed.
- Never drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Never drive fatigued.
- Always avoid distractions and concentrate on the road.
“We must also recognise and pay tribute to the police, fire and rescue service, and importantly ambulance officers and first responders, who are on the scene and confronted with the tragedy and trauma of accidents,” Mr O’Brien said.
“We must remember to observe the principles of National Road Safety Week every time we get behind the wheel.” ENDS
