Be safer this September
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Published on 14 September 2021
#RuralRoadSafetyMonth
Local motorists across the Gannawarra Shire are encouraged to get involved in helping to make the roads safer this September as part of Rural Road Safety Month.
Rural Road Safety Month is a national campaign aiming to prevent road trauma on rural roads and bring further awareness to safer rural road driving. It is a campaign that subsequently looks to decrease the number of rural road crashes that currently make up 65% of the Australian road toll.
“The Gannawarra community can get involved in Rural Road Safety month by simply making the pledge to choose road safety, changing of in-car behavior, or sharing rural road safe driving information,” said Chief Executive Officer Tom O’Reilly.
“Residents can also get involved by ensuring they have an understanding of how to cope when faced with extreme weather or unexpected road conditions when driving.”
Data collected as part of Rural Road Safety Month shows 86% of Victorians have driven under extreme conditions (heavy rainfall, thick fog, flooding, bushfire, or hail), despite 99% of Victorian drivers reporting feeling unsafe as part of the experience.
To help further support safer driving, Council has completed a number of rural road infrastructure projects and works to improve road conditions and provide a better, safer network for the community. During 2020/21, Council graded 650km of roads, re-sheeted 29.27 km of gravel roads, rehabilitated 5.82 km of sealed road, sealed 4,064 km of roadside shoulders, and replaced 917m of kerb and channels.
Other works also included:
Profiling and asphalting the culvert on Murrabit-Koondrook road to reduce the severe road bump; Sealing the Wandella Road between Kerang and Quambatook; and Expanding and resealing the shoulders of the Hall Road Bridge, Leitchville to improve all-round safety for motorists.Over the coming months, motorists can also expect additional road re-sheeting and road maintenance across the Shire as part of Council's 2021 Capital Works Program to reseal roads.
“Every year, around 1200 people are killed on Australian roads. Everyone has their part to play in ensuring we can improve safe driving on rural roads, whether by educating ourselves and others or ensuring to use caution and vigilance when driving. We can all be involved in helping to reduce the number of rural road-related crashes and deaths per year across Australia” said Mr. O’Reilly.
For further information on how to drive more safely on rural roads, and learn more about Rural Road Safety Month, please visit https://arsf.com.au/