WITH winter now upon us, now is the time for drivers, passengers, pedestrians, riders and cyclists to keep themselves and others safe on our roads, says Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the state’s Traffic & Highway Patrol Command.
Sadly, road trauma is the number one killer of Australian children aged 14 and under, and the second highest killer of young people under 24.
So far this year, 160 lives have been lost on NSW roads, nine more than this time last year.
Assistant Commissioner Corboy said many family and friends that have had to suffer the tragedy of losing a loved one on our roads.
“When you consider the first responders such as Police, Ambulance, Fire Rescue, and the Volunteer Emergency Services such as the State Emergency Service, Rural Fire Service and the Volunteer Rescue Association members that attend these sad and tragic events, combined with medical professionals, the numbers that are directly and indirectly affected by road trauma are significant,” he said.
“The key to road safety is ‘personal responsibility’. We know that speeding, drink or drug driving, driving fatigued, distracted, or without a seat belt, are all the key factors in serious injury and fatal crashes on our roads.
“However, it is personal responsibility that will save lives on our roads. We want drivers, once they turn the key and put on their seat belt, to drive safely, keeping a look out for others, ensuring they obey all road rules. Pedestrians need to ensure they wear bright coloured clothing, cross the road at designated traffic controlled points, and not second guess the speed of oncoming traffic.”
