At the start of this week the road toll was at 332 lives lost on NSW roads. That is three more than the same time last year. That is 156 drivers, 63 motorcyclists, 56 passengers, 12 cyclists, and 45 pedestrians, whose families will grieve this Christmas. It’s not just deaths that are the tragedy on our roads, almost 11,000 people have suffered serious injuries in crashes in just 12
months.
Recently at Bankwest Stadium 330 people gathered in one spot to demonstrate the scale of this human loss. Those representing regional fatalities wore yellow, with black representing metro
fatalities. This highlighted that in NSW so far this year 218 people have died in regional areas.
The fact is around 70 per cent of fatalities on country roads are country residents. It’s not visitors from out of town, it’s people who live in the area, who know the roads well and who often aren’t far from home when the worst thing happens.
“We want everyone to stop and think – think about how their behaviour on the roads impacts others, think about how they would feel if they lost a loved one and think about what they can do to help stop these deaths and injuries on our roads,” said Andrew Constance, Minister for Roads, recently.
There are four main areas where road users’ behaviour increases their risk of a crash. Please consider these to keep the roads safe over the holiday season.
Speed
Don’t rush to get places these holidays. When the unexpected happens on the road - the speed that you're travelling at matters. 'Just a bit over' can be the difference between being able to
stop in time or not at all. Your choice of speed can affect others as well as yourself. Slowing down reduces the risk or severity of a crash and gives more opportunity to react if other people
make mistakes. A mistake should never cost someone their life or their long term well-being.
Alcohol and drugs
There are plenty of celebrations over the holiday period. You need to plan ahead to get home safely – if you've been drinking, don't drive. It is important to remember that it can take some
time for the alcohol to leave your body. After a heavy day or night of drinking, it can take more than 18 hours for your blood alcohol concentration to get back to zero. Many people are booked
for drink driving the next day.
Illegal drugs can affect your driving skills and concentration, even though you may think you are driving well. Prescription drugs and over the counter medicines can also reduce your ability to
drive safely. Mixing one drug with another, or mixing alcohol with other drugs, increases your risk of having a crash.
Fatigue
Fatigue-related crashes can happen on any trip, no matter how long or short or what time of day. It’s important to think about how tired you are before driving, recognise the early warning
signs when driving and to avoid driving tired. We are often busy during the holiday season and can burn the candle at both ends. Combining this with long trips can be a recipe for disaster. On
long drives, even if you don’t feel tired, take regular breaks. Remember that sleep is the only way to overcome tiredness.
Distraction
Driving is a complex task. Anything that takes your mind or eyes off the road, or your hands off the wheel, compromises safety. Research shows that being distracted when driving, such as by
a mobile phone, increases the risk of a crash. At 60 km/h if you look at your phone while driving for just two seconds, you travel 33 metres blind. A short lapse of concentration can have lifelong consequences. Avoid the temptation of using your mobile phone illegally while driving.
Please take extra care over the holiday season and think about how your behaviour on the roads not only impacts you but also your family, friends and community.
