After a spate of accidents across the South West, and with the arrival of school holidays, motorists are being reminded to drive to the conditions.
Mayor Ruth Gstrein reminded Corangamite Shire residents that weather, poor road conditions and fatigue could all contribute to dangerous situations.
“September is Rural Road Safety Month which is an opportune time to remind people not to get careless behind the wheel or the handlebars,” Cr Gstrein said.
“We’ve probably all ‘zoned out’ at some stage on a familiar stretch of road but a moment’s inattention can have serious consequences.
“Country drivers face different challenges to our city counterparts, such as overtaking slow farm machinery or pulling onto unsealed shoulders to make room for oncoming heavy vehicles.
“Weather events in the region are also more severe with storm and windy conditions and flash flooding occurring more regularly, particularly at this time of year.
“Our Works Team is constantly maintaining Council-owned roads around the Shire and we continue to advocate with the State Government to fix their arterial network.
“Drivers also have a role to play. I encourage everyone to use their common sense and be patient when you have to. It’s better to arrive late than not at all.”
The Australian Road Safety Foundation has found two thirds of the national road toll happens on rural roads.
Serious road-related injuries in rural areas are almost double that of those in major cities.
Rural Road Safety Month is a national community-based road safety initiative that runs across September.
The event, now in its sixth year, is designed to educate all road users on the additional risks of rural roads and engage them in changing behaviours to actively reduce the burden of road trauma.
