Drive safe for Fatal Free Friday

Today is Fatality Free Friday so if you are away from home for one of the five permitted reasons, be safe on our local roads.

New research has revealed regional Victorians are continuing to undertake risky behaviour on the roads.

The Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF) research found speeding remains by far the highest broken road rule, with 47 per cent of regional Victorians admitting to being heavy footed.

The findings also reveal that jaywalking is the second highest road law broken, which shows that it’s not just regional Victorian drivers but also pedestrians who need to step up their road safety skills.

One third of drivers said their rule breaking was due to inattention (29 per cent), followed by the belief that it was safe to do so (19 per cent).

ARSF founder and chief executive officer Russell White said 1108 people lost their lives on Australian roads last year.

The research showed 84 per cent of road users falsely believe that drivers make up the majority of the road toll, when in actual fact more than half are passengers, pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists.

“Individuals have a responsibility to make the right choices when using the roads and it is imperative they understand the devastating consequences their choices can have not just on other road users, but on the wider community,” Mr White said.

Since its inception in 2007, Fatality Free Friday has grown to become Australia’s largest national community based road safety program.

While the target is to have zero fatalities on Australian roads on Friday 28 May, the initiative is much more than just a single day, ultimately aiming for long-term community change.