FEATURE
An interactive driving experience for young drivers. www.arriveonline.nsw.gov.au
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Road Safety
Action Plan Summary
The Blue Mountains Road Safety Action Plan is developed in partnership with a range of key stakeholders and community consultation and data analysis. The Action Plan is drawn from Councils Strategic Plan and is integrated into the Blue Mountains Community Safety Action Plan and Council's "Our Future - The Next 25 years - The Challenge" Future Direction Plan.
Contact Council's Road Safety Program Coordinator
For further information on Road Safety in the Blue Mountains, Contact Council's Road Safety Program Coordinator, Mr Glenn Sherlock on (02) 4780 5513.
Driveway Safety in the Blue Mountains
The driveway and yard are often viewed as safe areas and potential risk for children are not well recognised. The project aims to promote awareness that small children are at risk of motor vehicle injuries in these low speed "off road environments". One of the key counter measures is direct adult supervision.
Every year in Australia about 50 children are run over in the driveway of their family home.
The circumstances are always awful but perhaps most sadly, many of these deaths and injuries are caused by family members and could have been avoided. We are trying to raise parent, carer and driver awareness.
Driveways and yards which are used by cars, should never be considered safe 'play' areas for children.
The best preventative measure will always be direct supervision - always hold your child's hand or hold them close wherever there is a moving vehicle.
Key Messages
- Driveways and yards where vehicle may be are NOT safe environments for children
- There is NO substitute for direct supervision of children in driveways and yards
- Installation and use of security doors, driveway fencing, gates and improvements to car rear vision can be helpful preventative measures.
Head Lights On In Daytime
Head Lights On In Daytime is a program specifically designed for the often adverse and unpredictable weather we experience in the Blue Mountains.
"In the short term there is no safety measure with the same degree of effectiveness" (Gerondeau.C 1998)
This road safety strategy is about educating motorist to turning their headlights on when visibility is poor or reduced by heavy rain, snow, fog or mist.
Lead By Example - Child Pedestrian Project
The Lead By Example project is a pedestrian education program that has sought to address the safety of children as pedestrians, with the long-term aim of reducing child pedestrian rates of injury and mortality due to road crashes. The program focuses on ‘parents and carers’ supervision and role modeling of safe road behaviours to children in the road environment. The Program is broken down into 3 distinct stages. These being:
- Preparatory Stage for 0-4 years;
- School Readiness stage for 4-5 years; and
- Ongoing Road Safety for 5-12 years.
Look at YOURSELF - Youth Speed Project 2004
Young drivers in the mountains are being asked by other young drivers to “look at YOURSELF” as part of a new road safety program. The key to the success for this project was that the young group developed their own road safety program addressing their concerns about speeding and road safety and the impact of unsafe behaviour on their family and friends.
Stay Alert - Short Distance Driver Fatigue
Did you know that 86% of drivers involved in fatigue related crashes (where the trip was under 2 hours) lived in the area where the crash occurred? This means they were undertaking journeys that were part of their daily routines. Driving to work, dropping the children off at school, going to the shops etc.
