ACT Policing has asked all road users to limit their chances of being distracted while driving, as it announced a dual focus on distracted driving and vulnerable road users for its road safety focus this month.
Officer in Charge of Road Policing, Detective Inspector Marcus Boorman reminded drivers that distractions greatly multiplied the risks of something going wrong while driving.
“Driving is something many of us do every day, but you have to pay attention to what you’re doing,” Detective Inspector Boorman said.
“If you’re not paying attention, it’s much more likely you’ll hit something,” he said.
“That could be a pedestrian, a cyclist, or another vulnerable road user, and the consequences there can be tragic.”
Detective Inspector Boorman said he wanted everyone, not just drivers, to think about what they were doing on ACT roads.
“Pedestrians need to look out for traffic and not at their phone, before they cross the road. Cyclists shouldn’t wear headphones while riding,” he said.
“Don’t multiply the risks to your own safety, and make yourself more vulnerable than you already are.”
Detective Inspector Boorman also reminded motorists that in addition to the road safety focus, police would still enforce all road rules.
He said that last week a P-plate driver lost their licence after being caught driving 184km/h on the Majura Parkway.
“A one-second distraction at that speed would have seen that driver travel more than 50 metres,” he said.
“That’s beyond frightening, it’s stupid,” Detective Inspector Boorman said.
