Motorists using rural roads are being urged to reconsider their behaviour and put road safety first, during August as Rural Road Safety Month.
Announced by the Minister for Transport, Michael McCormack, Rural Road Safety Month – which was launched in 2018 – following research which revealed that rural road users were over-represented in the nation’s road toll for death and serious injury.
“With rural road fatalities making up two thirds of last year’s national road toll, the community must come together and recognise that road safety is everyone’s business,” Mr McCormack said.
“Last year 835 people lost their lives on regional roads, devastating their friends and communities and leaving behind 835 mourning families,” he said.
“It is the job of every motorist or rider across the country to help us bring that number down to zero because even one death or one crash on our roads is one too many.”
Mr McCormack said $500 million had been allocated for a Targeted Road Safety package to help keep Australian drivers safe as they emerge from COVID-19 restrictions.
Assistant Minister for Road Safety, Scott Buchholz encouraged people to make the pledge to Choose Road Safety and support Rural Road Safety Month through hosting local events or sharing road safety information among staff, students, colleagues, family and friends.
Further information on how to be involved in the Rural Road Safety Month can be accessed on the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s website at this PS News link.
