Timely launch of road safety campaign for country areas

A new country road safety campaign was launched today with the backing of nine local government areas, the NRMA, NSW Police and ACT Policing.

The campaign aims to reduce crashes on country roads, with two-thirds of all fatalities throughout NSW occurring on rural roads.

This is despite the country population making up only one third of the state’s residents.

Kate Lundy, NRMA Director representing the Mann Region, said the campaign was funded by the NRMA ACT Road Safety Trust.

The campaign is timed to correspond with several NSW and ACT Police operations over Easter and the NSW and ACT April school holidays. PHOTO: supplied.

She joined representatives of the nine participating local government areas of Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gundagai, Palerang, Queanbeyan, Snowy River, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Yass Valley, at a launch in Canberra earlier today.

NSW Police Superintendent Chad Gillies (NSW Police) and ACT Policing Station Sergeant Susan Ball also pledged their support for the campaign.

Yass Valley Council’s Road Safety Officer and campaign coordinator Melissa Weller told the press conference, “The aim of this campaign is to deliver a message to both NSW and ACT motorists, to work together as a region and reduce crashes on country roads”.

While only one third of the NSW population resides in country areas, two-thirds of all fatalities occur on country roads, the majority of these are ‘run off road’ type crashes, she said.

Yass Valley Council’s Melissa Weller with Kate Lundy (NRMA) and other stakeholders earlier today at the launch. PHOTO: Supplied

Speeding remains the greatest cause of death and injury on our roads, contributing to about 40 per cent of NSW road fatalities.

Country residents have a fatality rate (per 100,000 population) more than four times that of their metropolitan counterparts.

ACT motorists weren’t immune either, with 18 per cent of crashes in the participating shires involving ACT licensed drivers. In Palerang this figure is as high as 33 per cent and in Yass Valley 20 per cent.

“We are aware of the statistics, we have evidence that suggests local and visiting motorists are not slowing down and considering the environment that they are driving in,” Ms Weller said.

“As a joint force, we can have a real impact by getting a common message out over a large geographical area – a message backed by police enforcement and stakeholder co-operation.”

The campaign combines three road safety elements – education, enforcement and engineering and brings road safety stakeholders together from a variety of sectors including councils, police, NSW and ACT governments, philanthropic and corporate organisations.

The Country Roads Safety campaign is timed to correspond with several NSW and ACT Police operations scheduled over Easter, and the NSW and ACT April school holidays, a traditionally busy period on local country roads.

Representatives of the nine participating local government areas supporting the campaign; Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gundagai, Palerang, Queanbeyan, Snowy River, Tumbarumba, Tumut and Yass Valley. PHOTO: supplied