Council joins drive to prevent regional road trauma

Published on 07 September 2021

We're proud to be supporting Rural Road Safety Month this September.

An initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF), the month long campaign invites road users to take the Pledge to Choose Road Safety while aiming to raise awareness of the high number of road deaths occurring regionally compared to urban areas.

New ARSF research has revealed that two in three road deaths are occurring on regional roads despite only one third of the population residing in these areas. The research also showed that a quarter of Australian drivers are more likely to break a road rule when using a regional or rural road.

But it’s not all bad news for the Cessnock Local Government Area (LGA). Recent crash data from the Transport for NSW Centre for Road Safety has shown a downward trend in serious injury crashes in the LGA from 2015 to 2019. The report credits improvements to the road network, community education programs and increased safety features in modern vehicles for the reduction.

Council is a key partner in the delivery of road safety projects and education campaigns under the Transport for NSW Local Government Road Safety Program. The partnership provides valuable financial support and attracted $73,942 in funding in the 2020/21 financial year. Funding helped to deliver community engagement activities targeting speed, drink driving, fatigue, pedestrians, and key projects such as the ‘Helping Learner Drivers become Safe Drivers’ and ‘Joe Rider’ campaigns.

Cessnock City’s Infrastructure Manager, Katrina Kerr said the decrease in serious injury in crashes locally is welcome news, especially in light of the ARSF’s research.

“Our Local Government Road Safety Program is vital to creating a positive road safety culture within the community.

“The hazards associated with driving are mitigated by targeted community engagement and road safety awareness campaigns such as Rural Road Safety Month. We’ll also continue to deliver quality road safety upgrades with a view to maintaining the current downward trend in casualty crashes throughout the Cessnock LGA,” she said.

For information on the Local Government Road Safety Program, visit our Road Safety section.

Take the Rural Road Safety Month Pledge to Choose Road Safety today!