Take the online pledge to drive safely during National Road Safety Week, 16-23 May

Council is supporting the 2021 Yellow Ribbon National Road Safety Week (NRSW) from 16-23 May and is asking the community to join the ‘Drive So Others Survive!’ campaign to promote safer local roads and highways.

During the week-long initiative, road users are being asked to think about how their driving affects others, and to sign the online pledge to not drive distracted, not speed, and to never drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Councillor Rob Steane said that as a proud supporter of this important national initiative, Council is committed to making Maroondah roads safer for all road users.

“Despite reduced traffic throughout 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions, 213 people still died on Victorian roads, and the statistics show poor, high-risk driver behaviour such as speeding, drugs, drinking and mobile phone use continues to have fatal consequences,” Cr Steane said.

“As a former police sergeant, I know too well what it is like to knock on the door late at night to tell a parent that their child has been killed in a car collision. It is the worst job in the world,” he said.

Cr Steane said the focus of the week was on improving safety on our roads and highways, as well as remembering those who have lost their lives and the countless others who have been seriously injured.

“The responsibility for safer roads is shared across Australia and is important for us locally, particularly given the thousands of motorists who use our roads on a daily basis,” he said.

National Road Safety Week is an initiative of the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, established by Peter Frazer to reduce road death and trauma following the death of his daughter Sarah in a road crash nine years ago.

Cr Steane said the week also provided an opportunity for people and organisations to actively commit to safeguarding the lives and health of all road users, including pedestrians.

“Council has been working in partnership with VicRoads over many years to prevent crashes on roads, making intersections safer to navigate and improving safety for pedestrians and cyclists.

“Road safety improvements such as infrastructure play a vital role in decreasing crash risk, reducing road trauma and increasing survivability for the people involved. This is particularly important for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, children and the elderly. These community groups are more exposed to these risks in local streets, where we know 18 per cent of serious crashes occur,” he said.

“The trauma caused by road crashes echoes through communities and is felt by so many people, including family, friends, colleagues, community groups and emergency service first responders.

“So, during NRSW, I encourage our community to take the online pledge to drive safely,” Cr Steane added.

National Road Safety Week is an initiative of Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, established by Peter Frazer and partnering with road safety advocates to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries caused by crashes on Australian roads.

The SARAH Group was founded following the tragic death of Mr Frazer’s daughter Sarah, who was killed in a road crash on the Hume Highway on 15 February 2012. Sarah was 23.

“Often all you hear after a road tragedy is that some anonymous person has been killed or seriously injured, and that traffic is banked up, delaying commuters from getting home. But speak with emergency service workers about what they face, and with families and friends about what they endure after the death of a loved one, or in supporting someone who has been seriously injured, and it is impossible not to be moved,” he says.

For more information and to take the ‘Drive So Others Survive!’ pledge, visit the Road Safety Week website.