Shining a Light on National Road Safety Week
The Coorong District Council will shine a light on road safety this month as part of National Road Safety Week, with the lighting up of the Tailem Bend Water Tower and Tintinara Windmill in yellow.
Through the Department for Infrastructure and Transport’s, THINK! Road Safety Partnerships Program, the Council has secured $8,947 to help spread the message on Road Safety during National Road Safety Week by lighting up key landmarks in yellow and highlighting the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.
Coorong District Council’s Mayor Paul Simmons welcomes the funding from the State Government and the opportunity to share key road safety messages.
“Many of our district’s towns are situated on busy highways which have been the scene of some devastating road accidents in the past,” says Mayor Simmons.
“Road safety is such an important message to promote not only to residents but also to visitors who travel through our towns – we want our communities to stay safe.”
National Road Safety Week has been running since 2013. It is an initiative of Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH), also known as the Sarah Group, and was established by Peter Frazer after his 23-year-old daughter, Sarah, was killed in a preventable road crash.
Traffic injury is the biggest cause of death for Australian children aged under 15, and the second biggest cause of death for all Australian’s aged 15 to 24.
Every year more than 44,000 people are seriously injured and approximately 1,200 people lose their lives on Australian roads. The social impacts are devastating to those affected, and the annual cost to the Australian economy has been estimated to be at least $27 billion.
This year National Road Safety Week will be held from 14-21 May, and as a road user, visit the National Road Safety Week website where you can pledge to drive so others survive and help everyone get home safe.
Residents are encouraged to show their support by having discussions with family and friends around the importance of safe driving.
In addition to lighting up the Tailem Bend Water Tower and Tintinara Windmill, Coorong District Council will be joining others in local and state government to help spread the word through social media, newsletters and signage.
The lighting of the Tailem Bend Water tower is a collaborative project with SA Water and will enable the water tower to be lit up for 12 months of the year and help to raise awareness to other important community issues, such as mental health, domestic violence and Breast cancer.
For more information on Road safety and National Road Safety Week please visit https://www.thinkroadsafety.sa.gov.au/home.
- ENDS -
Contact:
Bridget Mather
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | COORONG DISTRICT COUNCIL
Phone: 1300 785 277 | E: bmather@coorong.sa.gov.au