A message from the Mayor – Towards Zero

Published on 23 November 2015

It’s hard to believe that we’re quickly moving into the last few days of November and with the festive season seemly starting earlier each year, I thought it was a good time to remind people to take it easy on the roads in the lead up to holidays.

The Victorian State Government, in conjunction with the Transport Accident Commission (TAC), Victoria Police and the Victorian Department of Justice have recently launched the Towards Zero campaign, with a vision for a future free of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. 

It’s a lofty goal but one which if achieved, has the potential to change thousands of lives in the most positive of ways.  

Currently almost five people a week die on Victorian roads and around 15 people are seriously injured every single day.  The impact on the individuals involved in these accidents, the families and friends, on employers, on our emergency services and on health services cannot be understated.

Towards Zero is a great campaign because it looks closely at the four main challenges facing road users’ everyday – the need for safer roads, the need for safer speeds, the need for safer vehicles and the need for us as drivers, riders and pedestrians, to make safer decisions.

TAC statistics show fatalities on Victorian roads traditionally rise during the Christmas/New Year period. Victoria’s 2013-2022 Road Safety Strategy actually singles out country road users as a specific target group for the Towards Zero campaign, stating country drivers are four times more likely to be killed and 40% more likely to be seriously injured in road crashes than metro drivers. 

These statistics are unacceptable.  

As we come into a time when families and friends should be celebrating and giving thanks, we know many will be remembering their lost loved-ones.  

So if you are heading in or out of our region these coming holidays, please take care and take time when travelling.  Please make sure you are well rested and leave time in your travel scheduled for breaks.  

To all the drivers out there, I know it’s common to think you can make up a little time in the Christmas rush by pushing the boundaries on our roads – sitting right on or just over the speed limit, trying to beat an on-coming vehicle as you pull out from an intersection or taking risks when passing slower cars – but is it really worth it?

It’s well known that I’m passionate about better roads in our region. I want safer roads for all travellers - business, industrial and recreational - but most importantly I want us all to have a fantastic, fun and fatality free summer.  Let’s all work Towards Zero.


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