Barton blitz

Slow down, calm down and concentrate on the Barton Highway, urge council and local police.

Police will target speeding and dangerous driver behaviours on the Barton Highway during a two week blitz from November 27 to December 11.

Yass Highway Patrol sergeant Steve Pidgeon said, “Highway Patrol police will be focusing on the Barton Highway for this period in an effort to reduce dangerous driver behaviour. Speed, fatigue, distraction and impatience are all factors that increase the risk of a serious collision. Particularly for the large number of drivers that travel this road every day, it is far too easy to become complacent.”

Seven people have lost their lives in Barton Highway motor vehicle accidents between 2010 and 2014. There have been 133 crashes and 111 have been injured. This campaign reminds motorists to slow down, calm down and concentrate.

Yass Valley Council Road Safety Officer Melissa Weller said, “We have run this campaign each year for five years, combining safety messages with increased police enforcement and we are seeing results.

“Barton Highway crash numbers (recorded with speed as a causal factor) have fallen from a high of 25 per cent in 2010 to 8.3 per cent in 2014.

“Disturbingly 22 per cent of crashes have fatigue recorded as a causal factor and police are also very concerned about drivers’ use of mobile phones” she said.

NSW crash data from 2010 to 2014 showed there were 236 crashes where hand-held mobile phone use by drivers was identified as a contributing factor. This included seven fatal crashes.

From July 2014 to June 2015, more than 35,300 fines were issued to drivers in NSW for using mobile phones, revealing the problem is prevalent.

“Motorists need to be responsible and consider the impact that road trauma can have, this includes taking a break or not driving if they are feeling tired, avoiding distractions like mobile phones and driving to the conditions and speed limits” Ms Weller said.