SENATOR GLENN STERLE
SHADOW ASSISTANT MINISTER FOR ROAD SAFETY
SENATOR FOR WESTERN AUSTRALIA
 
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY WEEK
  

National Road Safety Week was officially launched in Brisbane on Sunday and will run from 6 to 12 May.

Traffic incidents remain one of the biggest killers in Australia. Three people are killed and around 100 are seriously injured each day on Australian roads.

On average 1,220 Australians are killed on our roads each year, with 35,000 seriously injured.

National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, highlighting the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it. I would like to congratulate the President of the SARAH Group, Peter Frazer, for the work that he and his organisation have done in the lead up to this week and pay tribute to Peter’s tireless work in promoting and advocating awareness for this extremely important issue.

Each day of the week has its own specific theme. At midday on Monday 6 May we paused to remember the 1,200 people who die each year in road crashes. Today, people are encouraged to take the pledge to lead the way: drive so that you and others survive.

Another feature of National Road Safety Week is its bright yellow ribbon that is being beamed onto landmarks across the country.

I was pleased over the weekend to see the ribbon and road safety message being displayed on the walls of the RAC Arena in Perth. The Perth Bell Tower and the Matagarup Bridge are among other landmarks across the state that will be lit yellow to shine a light on road safety.

I also welcome the announcement from the McGowan Government on Monday that Western Australian community groups and organisations will share in more than $20,000 to promote road safety initiatives through locally based programs and events as part of National Road Safety Week.

With the annual economic cost of road crashes in Australia at $30 billion, and the effect that fatalities have on families and communities who have lost loved ones through vehicle accidents, we must lift our game.

Road Safety is everyone’s responsibility and this National Road Safety Week, I encourage everyone to drive so that others survive.

WEDNESDAY, 8 MAY 2019