Road safety: Shepparton Search and Rescue’s Michael D’Elia, Matt Condy and Janne Kenttala with highway patrol officer Senior Constable Christopher Rendina.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
‘Drive so others survive’ seems like a pretty straightforward concept, but 2023 saw the highest number of lives lost on Victorian roads in 15 years.
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National Road Safety Week is aiming to change those statistics, and how people behave on roads.
NRSW is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways Group, which partners with various road safety organisations and the Federal Government, to raise awareness of the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.
In 2024, it will run from Sunday, May 5, to Sunday, May 12, and many organisations, including Victorian Police, Fire Rescue Victoria and Shepparton Search and Rescue, will be getting involved to promote road safety, and Greater Shepparton City Council will light up buildings and structures yellow across the region to highlight the importance of road safety and the impact of road trauma.
Victoria Police Senior Sergeant Heidi Twining said NRSW was an excellent reminder to people to take extra care on the roads.
“NRSW is a good reminder of the things that you should be doing every single day,” she said.
“It’s really simple things that everybody can do daily, like putting your seatbelt on, not speeding or going on your phone.”
There have been 93 fatalities on Victorian roads this year. Although the number is lower than at this time last year, there are still 93 families who have been impacted, and who won’t get to see their loved ones again.
“We’re trying to get people to imagine that it’s their friends and families that have been in an accident,” Sen Sgt Twining said.
“If it happens to your family and friends, it always stays with you.”
Sen Sgt Twining said there was one simple thing in particular people could do during NRSW.
“When you’re in a vehicle, keep in mind that it is road safety week,” she said.
“Have some self-ownership and take precautions so you won’t be distracted on the road.
“People just have to be mindful; most accidents are all preventable.
“This week is about being in the moment and being really aware when you’re driving.”
Shepparton Search and Rescue vice-president Michael D’Elia said when it came to road safety, everybody needed to play their part.
Drive so others survive: Shepparton Search and Rescue’s Michael D’Elia, Janne Kenttala and Matt Condy.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“The last couple of years, Shepp Search and Rescue has been really busy when it comes to road trauma that includes both road deaths and serious injuries,” he said.
“2023 was one of our busiest years for 20 to 25 years. So, NRSW is really important for us to get that message out to people that it’s everybody’s responsibility when it comes to road safety.”
No matter the drive, NRSW is an important reminder to plan every drive and consider all possible outcomes before you get behind the wheel.
“If it’s just a trip to the supermarket, or it’s a trip to Queensland, it doesn’t matter. If you’re not planning the trip, and you’re not thinking through your responsibilities as a driver, at some point in time, you’re going to come to grief, it’s as simple as that,” Mr D’Elia said.
As well as promoting NRSW, members of Shepparton Search and Rescue will continue to have conversations with people where they can try to engage them in what is “proper road behaviour”.
During NRSW, drivers can pledge to ‘drive so others survive’. The pledge asks drivers to drive as if their loved ones are on the road ahead, remove all distractions and not put other people at risk.
“The person who gets behind the wheel of a car is responsible for the people that are in there. All passengers are responsible for that as well,” Mr D’Elia said.
“So all of those things (like the pledge) where people have to do something, makes them think about road safety and their responsibilities.
“If we can get people thinking about their responsibilities and about what happens if something goes wrong, like who’s going to get hurt, who’s going to get killed, and all of those different outcomes, then something like making a pledge to think about those sorts of things, hopefully, that’s just the kicker that gets people to think in that way.
“Our message to people is that NRSW is a really good time to sit back, reflect and remind yourself and your family that you need to be safe on the roads.”
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