So far in 2023, 171 people have been seriously injured on our roads and 16 more people killed.
With winter well and truly here, we can expect winter conditions to make driving even more risky, which is why the Road Safety Advisory Council (RSAC) is launching a new social media campaign today to highlight the need for motorists to slow down and drive to the conditions.
RSAC Chair, Scott Tilyard, said driving to the conditions is critically important for your own and other road user’s safety – especially in winter when roads can be slippery from rain, ice or snow and visibility may be reduced in heavy rain or fog.
“The number of Tasmanians being killed or seriously injured on our roads is utterly tragic and now that winter is here we’re urging people to drive safely and drive to the conditions,” Mr Tilyard said.
“Driving to the conditions is common sense. A road’s speed limit doesn’t always mean it is safe to drive at that speed and motorists should slow down to a speed that’s safe for the road and weather conditions.
“We cannot accept that anyone can lose their life on our roads – by slowing down and driving to the conditions we can all keep each other safe and ensure no one has to experience the heartache of road trauma,” he said.
The social media series depicts different driving conditions that may affect safe driving with a particular focus on winter driving conditions such as rain, ice, and low visibility as well as highlighting other conditions such as heavy traffic, gravel, and winding roads.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Michael Ferguson commended RSAC for delivering this campaign in addition to its range of educational and awareness strategies focussing on various contributing factors of road fatalities and serious injuries.
“As a Government, we will continue to do all we can to drive down the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads,” Mr Ferguson said.
“The Tasmanian Government is delivering the 42 evidence-based road safety initiatives under the Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024 including the introduction of a new mobile automated traffic enforcement program which, according to early analysis, has resulted in a reduction in average vehicle speeds.
“This is important as speeding is one of the biggest causes of fatal and serious injuries in Tasmania, with one-third of crashes being speed-related”.
This campaign is an initiative to encourage safer road use and promote safe behaviours under the current Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024.
For more information: https://www.rsac.tas.gov.au/campaign/drive-to-the-conditions/ and HERE
