South Australia Police (SAPOL) are pleading with motorists to drive safely and stay alive.
Assistant Police Commissioner, Ian Parrott said that with a staggering 80 per cent of this year’s deaths being on regional roads, police were calling for extra vigilance in regional areas.
Assistant Commissioner Parrott said fine weather and easing of COVID-19 restrictions would attract visitors to the regions and increased foot traffic in metropolitan areas and warned that police would be on high alert for irresponsible and dangerous driving behaviours.
“Our neighbours, colleagues, families and friends are the people dying on our roads,” Assistant Commissioner Parrott said.
“We have to stop taking unnecessary risks and endangering lives.
“People must plan ahead to ensure a safe return home.
He said this would include planning for possible delays in arranging for ride shares and checking the Department of Infrastructure and Transport website for any road works that could bring stress and panic behind the wheel which could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Assistant Commissioner Parrott said it was not only visitors who needed to take care as two out of three lives lost on regional roads were people who lived in regional communities.
“Most people do the right thing but police have been appalled at the recent high incidence of dangerous and selfish behaviours on our region’s roads, such as drink driving,” he said.
He said that over the past five years, 66 lives had been lost in the Hills Fleurieu region with 24 per cent of those being attributed to drink or drug driving.
“Nearly a quarter are attributed to speeding and a further 44 per cent have been attributed to driver distraction,” Assistant Commissioner Parrott said.
