Drivers travelling throughout rural and regional areas are being urged to slow down this Rural Road Safety Month, with more than two-thirds of lives lost on country roads in NSW.
NSW Nationals Member for Myall Lakes Stephen Bromhead said preliminary figures showed 196 people were killed or injured on local roads in 2019, while 28 were killed and 268 seriously injured in the five years from 2014/15 to 2018/19.
Mr Bromhead said speeding was the most common factor for fatalities in the Manning – Great Lakes region during this five-year period, contributing to about 64 per cent of people killed.
“Every one of these deaths and serious injuries has had a devastating impact on families, friends and communities,” Mr Bromhead said.
“Whether you’re a driver, passenger, rider or pedestrian, every decision you make on the road matters and we all have a responsibility to make safe choices.”
NSW Nationals Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole last week launched Rural Road Safety Month, an initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
“Every time you get behind the wheel, the choices we make can have fatal consequences,” Mr Toole said.
“Every life lost or serious injury suffered represents a family, a friend and a community that is impacted. Speeding remains the biggest contributor to road fatalities, accounting for 39 per cent of fatalities last year.
“The NSW Nationals in the state government are committed to making roads safer for everyone, which is why we’re investing more than $640 million in the Safer Roads Program for regional NSW, along with $140 million from the NSW Nationals in the federal government to roll out life-saving projects.”
Information on Rural Road Safety Month is here: https://arsf.com.au/rrsw-home/.
Safer Roads program: https://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/safer-roads/index.html.
