Road Safety Round-Up

In this issue

WALGA’s RoadWise Program Updates............ 1

Funding changes for RoadWise Program ......... 1

LG Community Road Safety Grants Program ... 2

LG Safe System Project & Advisory Group ...... 3

Regional Youth Road Safety Working Group ... 8

LG Road Safety Awards 2014 .......................... 9

Run-Off Road Crashes in Regional Areas ........ 9

Be seen, turn your headlights on ...................... 9

Urban Intersections ......................................... 10

The how and why of roundabouts .................. 10

Speeding Behaviour ........................................ 10

Denmark RW Committee & novice drivers ..... 10

Survey on knowledge of drivers ..................... 11

Impaired driving ............................................... 12

Northam Skippers Program ............................ 12

Keys for life in City of Swan ............................ 13

Occupant Protection and Crash Avoidance .. 14

WALGA at IGA Perth Royal Show .................. 14

Mothers receive child restraint fitting .............. 15

U3A learns about safe vehicles ...................... 15

Safer cars save lives in Wongan-Hills ............ 16

Type 1 Child Car Restraint courses ................ 16

Committee news .............................................. 17

Shire of Coolgardie take on road safety ......... 17

Human Spirit Award in Hedland ..................... 17

Road safety display trailer update .................. 17

Road safety groups bring regions together ..... 18

Q & A with RoadWise ...................................... 18

ANCAP results ................................................. 19

Calendar ........................................................... 20

Volume 8, Issue 6, September-October 2013

More on page 2

Funding changes for WALGA’s RoadWise Program In August 2013, WALGA was informed by the Minister that the funding allocation for the RoadWise Program for 2013-14 would be reduced from $2.8 million to $1.4 million. The Minister‟s office specifically directed WALGA to cease the Local Government Safe System Project and the Regional Youth Road Safety Project and to transfer the Community Road Safety Grants Program to the Office of Road Safety. The reduction in funding has resulted in the loss of eight staff and less hours for the Child Car Restraint Fitting Service. WALGA has been delivering the Local Government and Community Road Safety Program (RoadWise) since 1994. The RoadWise Program is partly funded through the Road Trauma Trust Account, which is where fines from speed and red light camera infringements are directed. The State Government Minister for Road Safety, Hon Liza Harvey MLA, is responsible for funding allocations from the Road Trauma Trust Account. Following these cuts, WALGA‟s RoadWise Program has been re-shaped and remains committed to continuing to provide advice and support to Local Governments, RoadWise Committees and the community road safety network to effectively deliver local initiatives to improve road safety outcomes throughout Western Australia.

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The Community Road Safety Grants Program 2002 to 2013 In 2002-03 the WALGA RoadWise Program established the Community Road Safety Grants Program to facilitate and enable the planning, implementation and evaluation of community based road safety projects that support the objectives of the WA road safety strategy. Since then 743 grants have been awarded to the value of $3,660,510. Of those 298 were projects, 370 were event sponsorships, 70 speed display trailers 10 workforce development and 4 child car restraints grants. Of the project grants, 70 addressed drink driving, 29 restraints including child car restraints, 28 fatigue, 28 safe speeds, 18 speeding and six safe vehicles. The remaining project grants addressed a combination of issues as identified in the WA road safety strategy. Event sponsorship grant recipients promoted road safety messages: 136 addressing drink driving, 52 speeding, 49 fatigue, 49 restraints, 48 safe speeds, 11 safe vehicles and two safe roads and roadsides. The remaining sponsorship grants promoted a combination of messages. Over the 11 years of the Community Road Safety Grants Program, over 800 organisations and groups, including Local Governments, RoadWise Committees, service clubs, schools, health organisations, state government agencies and community groups, were involved in the Grants Program.

A new delivery model has been developed to ensure that all areas of the State including metropolitan, rural and remote will have access to the services provided by dedicated road safety personnel. Child Car Restraint Type 1 Fitting Courses will also still be delivered in regional and metropolitan areas, and trained Type 1 Fitters will continue to be supported. Other initiatives such as the Driver Reviver Program, which is funded through national sponsorship, will remain with administrative support from WALGA, provided locally organised volunteers continue to support this initiative. WALGA would like to acknowledge the support for the program and the Association that has been received from across the state in response to this decision. Thank you.

More on page 3

Visit the White Ribbons page for more. www.roadwise.asn.au/resources/

resources/WRforroadsafety

White RibbonsTM for Road Safety 2013

17 Nov 2013 to 6 Jan 2014

The first part of this edition of the Road Safety RoundUp will feature articles which highlight those projects and people that will no longer continue, and the first eleven years of the Community Road Safety Grants Program.

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The Local Government and Community Road Safety Committee (LG&CRSC) was established in 2002-03 to oversee the Community Road Safety Grants Program, providing a diverse mix of perspectives and expertise to ensure that consideration was given to the needs of the community road safety network in effectively contributing addressing road safety issues. The committee met monthly to assess applications and approve grants. Some members were with the LG&CRSC since the Program was launched. WALGA‟s RoadWise Program wishes to thank the outgoing members of the Local Government and Community Road Safety Committee for their experience, wisdom, and willingness to volunteer their time.

Mayor David Boothman (City of Stirling), Chairman, member since 2003

Cr Michael Wainwright (City of Swan), member since August 2008

Cr Lawrie Short (Shire of Dandaragan), member since November 2010

Cr Graham Pittaway (City of Bayswater), member between 2003-2006 and again from November 2009

Dr Rina Cercarelli (Research and Evaluation Advisor), member since 2003

Esme Bowen (Community and Schools), member since 2003

Brian Webb (Local Government and Regional), member since November 2004

Brian Kidd (Main Roads WA), member since 2003

Marianne Carey (RAC), member since November 2010

John Pintabona (WA Police), member since 2006

Chris Paino (APEX), member since 2006 Kumar Vadivale (Institute of Public Works

Engineering Australia), member since 2009 Bruno Faletti (SDERA), member since 2011.

WALGA acknowledges with gratitude the value of the members‟ contribution to the Community Road Safety Grants program.

Trish Strickland Road Safety Project Officer and coordinator of the Community Road Safety Grants Program, WALGA‟s RoadWise Program

Trish first joined WALGA in 2000 and transferred to the RoadWise Program in 2005 to be the RoadWise Support Officer. She was appointed Road Safety Project Officer in 2011 and coordinated the Community Road Safety Grants Program until 2013 when the Program was transferred to the Office of Road Safety. WALGA‟s RoadWise Program thanks Trish for her hard work and her many years of dedication, and wishes her all the best for the future.

Six of the LG&CRSC members. From left, rear row: Kumar Vadivale, Cr John Pintabona, Brian Webb and Chris Piano. Front row: Cr Graham Pittaway OAM and Mayor David Boothman.

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Safe System Guiding Principles for Local Government It was recognised that in order to assist the Local Government sector to understand and adopt the safe system approach, a set of Local Government specific guiding principles would be beneficial. A well-established research consensus process was used to work with the sector and other local, national and international experts to develop the set of agreed evidence-based principles. It is envisaged that the widespread adoption of the guiding principles will assist the uptake of the safe system approach by Local Governments; complement other initiatives to improve road safety within communities; and ultimately, reduce road trauma on the local road network. The Safe System Guiding Principles for Local Government are available as a resource for Local Governments, wishing to introduce the safe system approach, by contacting the WALGA RoadWise Program at roadwise@walga.asn.au.

Local Government Safe System Project The Local Government Safe System Project (LGSSP) was established in 2009 to support Local Governments in the adoption and application of the safe system approach to road safety. A first of its kind, this project delivered ground-breaking achievements during its time, including the following: Baseline and repeat survey An initial baseline survey was conducted in November 2009 and a follow up repeat survey two years later to gauge road safety knowledge and road safety capacity within the Local Government sector in WA. Survey results were used to benchmark information to assist the LGSSP in developing strategies to support Local Governments to deliver best practice road safety and contribute to the implementation of Towards Zero. State-wide needs assessment and safe system workshops A series of workshops were designed and conducted to increase understanding and assist in identifying the barriers and enablers for Local Governments to embed safe system principles into policy and practice. A total of 16 workshops were held between May 2010 and May 2011. One hundred and fifty one Local Government Officers and Elected Members from 54 Local Governments attended. Discussions highlighted some of the specific challenges being faced by Local Governments, as well as the broader issues that exist for the sector in working towards a safe system. Across all barriers discussed during the workshops, three common themes emerged as needs: increased funding, enhanced skills and knowledge, and improved coordination between agencies.

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Local Government Safe System Improvement Program The Local Government Safe System Improvement Program (LGSSIP) was developed to provide a framework whereby participating Local Governments can systematically assess and improve the way they manage road safety at an organisational level. The aim of the program was to support Local Governments to apply world‟s best practice road

safety management models, incorporating the safe system approach, in turn contributing to the development of a whole-of-organisation understanding and commitment to road safety. The program was to be rolled out in two phases: 1. the formulation phase which commenced in March 2012, and 2. the implementation phase which could not be started as funding ceased before the evaluation of the formulation phase was presented. Two Local Governments participated in the formulation or pilot phase of the LGSSIP. At the completion of the first 12 months an evaluation was conducted. Results showed significant improvements in how both Local Governments managed road safety at an organisational level.

Declaration for Road Safety The Declaration for Road Safety was developed as a tool for Local Governments to demonstrate their political commitment to work towards zero road fatalities and serious injuries, and to participate in a sector-wide leadership approach. The signing of a Declaration for Road Safety is voluntary and does not commit Local Governments to actions beyond current resources, standards or means. It provides a statement of intent and acknowledges the moral and ethical role Local Governments as road managers and community leaders have in road safety. Essentially, the Declaration provides an opportunity for local leaders to pledge to future generations that every road death is one too many. The Declaration is designed to strengthen Local Governments advocacy position by articulating a shared political commitment across the sector, as well as providing an opportunity for individual Local Governments to declare their commitment to a future where road deaths and serious injuries are no longer accepted as a fact of life.

More on page 6

The WALGA RoadWise Program gratefully acknowledges the Shire of York and the City of South Perth for their foresight and willingness to participate in the formulation or pilot phase of this program.

WALGA CEO Ricky Burges and President Troy Pickard sign WALGA’s Declaration for Road Safety

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Templates and information about the Declaration for Road Safety can be accessed by contacting the WALGA RoadWise Program at roadwise@walga.asn.au. Safe System Toolkit for Local Government A toolkit was developed as a part of the LGSSP in response to feedback received from Local Government which identified gaps in knowledge, skills and resources with respect to the safe system approach to road safety. The toolkit is designed to assist Local Governments in developing a strategic response to improve road safety in their local area by providing practical, evidence-based solutions tailored to suit the Local Government sector. For more information about this resource please contact WALGA‟s RoadWise Program at roadwise@walga.asn.au.

The Local Government Safe System Project Advisory Group The LGSSP Advisory Group was formed in May 2009 to promote the LGSSP to Local Governments and partners and to provide a consultative forum to provide feedback and advice on the strategic direction of the LGSSP. The meetings also served to identify opportunities and links with safe system activities within other agencies and encourage communication and coordination between agencies associated with the project. Members of the LGSSP Advisory Group (2009 – 2013) included:

Anthony Vuleta, Stephen Bell and Doug Pearson – Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia

Gay Thornton – Local Government Managers Australia WA Division Inc.

Paul Edwards – City of South Perth Ray Hooper – Shire of York Scott Lambie – City of Rockingham Sarkis Petrossian – Engineers Australia

Transport Panel Jon Gibson, Roger Farley, Phillip Maso,

Rachel Edwards, Wendy Burger and Cindy Chandler – Office of Road Safety

Maurice Cammick, David Moyses, George Formentin and Theo Hazebroek – Main Roads Western Australia

Staff from WALGA‟s RoadWise Program would like to extend sincere thanks to all past and present members of the LGSSP Advisory Group. Their guidance and advice has been invaluable in the development and implementation of the Local Government Safe System Project.

The Safe System Guiding Principles for Local Government More on page 7

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Louise Russell-Weisz Safe System Coordinator, LGSSP WALGA‟s RoadWise Program Louise joined the RoadWise program in 2001. She has since worked as Regional Road Safety Officer in the

Kimberley Region and later as Road Safety Project Officer managing the Road Safety Grants Program. Louise‟s most recent role was with the LGSSP project as Safe System Coordinator, up until the project ceased in 2013. Louise was a member of the team which established the project. The RoadWise Program thanks Louise for her contribution over the years and wishes her the best in all future endeavours.

Andrea Smithson Road Safety Project Officer and Safe System Coordinator WALGA‟s RoadWise Program Andrea joined the RoadWise Program in 2007 as the Regional Road Safety

Officer in the Great Southern. She was appointed Safe System Coordinator in 2009 to help establish the project. Since late 2012 Andrea has been working as Road Safety Project Officer . The RoadWise Program says thank you to Andrea for her contribution to the LGSSP. Andrea continues to work with RoadWise until she starts Parental Leave before the end of the year.

Russell Jackson Safe System Coordinator, LGSSP WALGA‟s RoadWise Program In 2013 Russell relocated to Perth from Tasmania where he was working as an

engineering consultant, to take up the Safe System Coordinator position with the RoadWise Program. The RoadWise Program thanks Russell for his hard work and wishes him the very best for the future.

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Regional Youth Road Safety Project WALGA together with the Office of Road Safety, WA Police, RAC, Department of Education, Department of Transport and the Insurance Commission of WA formed the Regional Youth Road Safety Working Group.

WALGA received funding from the Road Trauma Trust Account earlier this year to implement the Regional Youth Road Safety Project to be trialled in the Wheatbelt regions. The objective of this project was to develop and coordinate the delivery of a tailored educational and promotional campaign as a countermeasure for addressing road crash deaths and serious injury involving regional youth. Workshops were held in Bindoon, Merredin and Wickepin between May and June 2013. Participants at these workshops identified a range of promotional activities to increase supervised driving hours and the uptake of safe vehicles among novice drivers. They provided valuable feedback crucial in developing the project‟s recommendations and which would be potentially useful for any other organisation or group wishing to progress work in this area. WALGA has also collated a list of relevant resources from Office of Road Safety, Department of Transport, SDERA and the RAC which community members and groups may also find useful as a reference or in the implementation of promotional activities.

WALGA would like to extend thanks to the members of the Regional Youth Road Safety Working Group for providing valuable guidance and contribution to the project:

Cr Steve Martin – Road Safety Council, Regional Road Safety Working Group Chairman

Roger Farley and Philip Maso – Office of Road Safety

A/C Nick Anticich and A/C Michelle Fyfe – WA Police

Marianne Carey and Daniel Newman – RAC Peter Jones and Leanne Biemmi –

Department of Education Andrew Lee, Vince Tamigi and Rebecca

McKeig – Department of Transport, and Lew Watts – Insurance Commission of WA

WALGA would like to thank the Shires of Chittering and Wickepin, and the Country Health Service Merredin for providing workshop venues, and to all participants who provided their input at the workshops and meetings throughout the duration of the project.

Nina Hewson Road Safety Project Officer and coordinator of the Regional Youth Road Safety Project Nina started at WALGA in 2010 as

Policy Officer, Transport and Roads. She then joined the RoadWise Program in early 2012 as Road Safety Project Officer. Nina coordinated the Regional Youth Road Safety Project until 2013 when the Program ceased. Nina will be commencing parental leave in December.

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Be seen, turn your headlights on

Run-off Road Crashes in Regional Areas

Headlight sign in Kalgoorlie

„Be Seen, Turn Your Headlights On‟ signs have been erected at the three exit points of Kalgoorlie. The signs were part of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Community Road Safety Awareness Campaign organised by the Kalgoorlie-Boulder RoadWise Committee and funded through a Community Road Safety Grant. The signs, along with radio advertising, aim to encourage motorists to turn their headlights on, especially when driving long distance. The use of headlights increases your chance of being seen by oncoming traffic, importantly when overtaking heavy vehicles.

Nominations are open for the 2014 Local Government Road Safety Awards

The awards are a joint initiative of the WA Local Government Association‟s RoadWise Program and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (IPWEA) WA Division and seek to acknowledge outstanding achievements by Local Governments in the area of road safety. The Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia (WA Division) and the Western Australian Local Government Association‟s RoadWise Program encourage Local Governments to submit nominations for next year‟s awards in the categories of:

Safe Roads and Roadsides

Safe Travel Speeds

Safe Vehicles

Safe Road Use, and

Joe North Award for projects and outstanding individual contributions to road safety.

The awards will be presented at the 2014 Transport and Roads Forum which is to be held on Thursday 6 March 2014 at the Crown Perth. Submissions close Friday 20 December 2013. For further information about the 2014 Local Government Awards visit www.roadwise.asn.au/news/lgrsawards Or contact Essie Smith, Road Safety Project Officer on 9213 2066 or by email at esmith@walga.asn.au.

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Speed Behaviour Urban Intersections

The how and why of roundabouts The Albany RoadWise Committee has been working with key stakeholders in the local area to update their roundabout information brochure. With 47 roundabouts in the City of Albany, it is often reported that they are a source of angst for residents and visitors alike. The brochure aims to promote the safe and correct use of roundabouts through instructive diagrams, and explain that roundabouts can help reduce death and serious injury at intersections. Roundabouts are designed to remove the opportunity for right angle and head on collisions which are present at other intersections. They also slow the travel speed of approaching vehicles. Due to these design features, drivers have more time to react in emergency situations and the severity of accidents are minimised due to the angle and reduced speed of their vehicles. Statistics from the Chesterpass roundabout in Albany, also known as the „big‟ roundabout, supports this. In 2008-2012 there have been no fatal crashes at the intersection. Of the 231 crashes that occurred during the five years, only 1.7% resulted in persons requiring hospital treatment. The majority of crashes (92.5%) were either sideswipes or rear-end collisions which tend to result in less severe injuries than other crash types. The RoadWise Committee will have a stall at the Albany Show being held on 8-9 November to promote roundabouts and the importance of design in reducing death and serious injury in urban areas. For more information contact Erin McDonald-Lee Road Safety Advisor (Great Southern) on 9892 1145 or at EMcDonald-Lee@walga.asn.au. Statistics provided by Main Roads WA Albany.

Denmark RoadWise Committee offers advice to novice drivers

In an effort to address the increased risk of driver crash involvement for drivers during their first year of solo driving, the Shire of Denmark‟s RoadWise Committee presented a talk to students at the Denmark High School and the Denmark Agricultural College on Thursday 12 September. The talk covered subjects such as safe speeds, the effects of alcohol when driving, and safe driver behaviour during Leavers. Councillor David Morrell, Chairperson of the Denmark RoadWise Committee, said that “statistically, the number of students losing their license within the first twelve months of driving was very high and it was for this reason that the RoadWise Committee sought to address the issue via a Novice Driver Information Session.” Constable Guthrie and Constable Edgar, from Denmark Police Station, answered many questions, presented information, and offered practical and technical advice to the novice drivers at each school.

Constable Guthrie presenting to novice drivers

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Survey investigates knowledge alcohol content and major road issues

The annual Nameless Festival in Tom Price was held on 9-10 August. Pilbara Road Safety Officer, Ingrid England, teamed up with the Department of Transport Remote Licensing team to deliver road safety messages at the event by using the Road Safety Display Trailer borrowed from the Kimberley.

Many attendees received information from the trailer about the Towards Zero road safety strategy, the RoadWise Program and road safety issues in their area, they also had an opportunity to enter a „Know your Standards Drinks‟ questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on knowledge of standard drinks and Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) which resulted in some interesting outcomes as shown below.

The majority of respondents were aged between 20-49 years of age

61% of respondents answered all of the questions correctly; most confusion was around the difference between the alcohol content of 100ml of full strength beer and 100ml of wine

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Respondents were also asked what they thought the major road issues where in the Pilbara region – the results were as follows:

More licensed premises to help drive the Northam skipper program The skipper program project in the northern Wheatbelt has grown over the last few months to include the following licensed premises:

Shamrock Hotel and Northam Tavern, Northam

Dowerin Commercial Hotel, Dowerin Merredin Commercial Hotel, Merredin Railway Hotel, Southern Cross Scottalian Hotel and Bite Restaurant, Bindoon Stringybark Restaurant, Chittering, and York Recreation and Convention Centre,

York. Wheatbelt Police Officers confirm they are recording excess alcohol infringements (over .05 blood alcohol concentration or BAC) on a frequent basis, and as we know with a BAC of over .05 the risk of being involved in a crash doubles.

Impaired Driving

Health Promotion Officer Daniella Joyce and Apex Bar Manager Paul Milsteed at Dowerin Field Days

More on page 13

* Fatigue could be responsible for up to 30% of deaths and a bigger percentage of serious injury crashes. Because fatigue is difficult to measure, it is under-represented in police crash data; however research indicates that up to 30% of crashes involve fatigue. ** At least one driver/rider blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or higher was recorded in 18% of fatal and serious crashes. At least one driver/rider BAC of 0.08 or higher was recorded in 16% of fatal and serious crashes. Statistics source: Office of Road Safety website.

25% 24%30%

20%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Latest crash statistics for Pilbara

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Keys for Life: preparing novice drivers to be safer drivers Letizia Ludewig at the City of Swan has been working alongside Deb Zines, Keys for Life Consultant at School Drug Education and Road Aware (SDERA) to encourage local secondary schools to implement the Keys for Life pre-driver education program as part of their Year 10 or 11 school curriculum. “Currently there are eight schools in the area that have implemented this road safety program,” said Letizia, “and I‟d like to encourage all secondary schools in the City of Swan to get on board with this important road safety program.” Kevin Peterson and Brian Owen at Governor Stirling Senior High School along with Joe Sorgiovani from La Salle College and Lucy Felstead at Guildford Grammar School are among the many long standing Keys for Life teachers and supporters of Keys for Life in the City of Swan, that are happy to wax lyrical about this vital program. “Keys for Life is about developing a culture of respect, responsibility and safety,” said Deb Zines. “Teachers are well prepared with our professional learning and resources, to deliver a program that is appealing, practical and meaningful. The learning activities cover all aspects of road safety, while promoting life skills and a positive attitude to driving.” All Keys for Life teachers are professionally trained by SDERA and have access to excellent materials including online learning tools, student workbooks, test material, a parent seminar and fact sheets, film footage and a teacher resource.

So it is really important and valuable that so many licensed premises are helping to change that. Other hotels and clubs in the region will be invited to participate in the program over coming months in an effort to reduce the incidence of drink-driving. The skipper program featured prominently at the Shire of Chittering‟s „Tastes of Chittering‟ event on 7 September. An estimated 1800 people braved the rain (and the election) to enjoy local food and wine tastings (responsibly). The free „Slow Down Enjoy the Ride in (& to!) Chittering‟ giveaway bags were extremely popular. The Shire of Chittering received a Community Road Safety Grant to incorporate road safety into its annual calendar of events and community safety initiatives.

More on page 14

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Occupant Protection and Crash Avoidance

IGA Perth Royal Show 2013

The theme for the road safety information stand at this year‟s IGA Perth Royal Show focused on safe vehicles. WALGA‟s RoadWise Program once again helped the Office of Road Safety to remind the public of the safety features to ask for when purchasing their next vehicle. A wrecked 5-star rated car was used as part of the display as a reminder that the impact of a serious crash on a driver or passengers will be less severe when travelling in a vehicle carrying a 4 or 5 Star ANCAP crash safety rating. The theme fitted well with the Towards Zero road safety strategy and prompted curious drivers to inspect the damage caused to the car and to check the provided ANCAP database for the safety ratings of their own vehicles. They also tested their knowledge with interactive games and quizzes targeting various issues such as speeding, drink driving and driver fatigue.

At the end of the 10-lesson program students are offered the opportunity to undertake the legitimate learner driver theory test at school. Those that pass are issued with a prized Keys for Life Certificate which provides benefits and exemptions when students are 16 years of age and ready to apply for their learner‟s permit. SDERA is committed to best practice and part of this is getting parents involved in driver education and providing the connections for schools to be able to do this. The RAC run a free Keys for Life Parent Workshop for students and their parents. The Department of Transport ensures Keys for Life students gain seamless entry to the licensing system. The Paraplegic Benefit Fund, RAC, Headwest and Royal Perth Hospital all offer free student presentations and the Office of Road Safety provides online activities, research and fact sheets. „”t‟s a win-win situation and I applaud teachers in the City of Swan that are dedicated to helping young people stay safer on the roads through the Keys for Life program,” said Letizia. For more information contact SDERA at sdera.co@education.wa.edu.au or Deb Zines at deb.zines@education.wa.edu.au or phone 9264 4743.

WALGA and ORS staff at the Royal Show

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Mothers receive professional child restraint fitting Qualified Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitters Jill Fitzpatrick (SDERA), Garry Wilson (Department of Transport) and Andrea Lambert (WALGA RoadWise Program) held a child car restraint checking station at the Esperance local Mothers Encouragement Group (MEG) on 27 August. The MEG is a group of mums who meet monthly to support one another. About a dozen child car restraints were checked, with the majority of them found to be fitted correctly and suitable for their child. A few new types of restraints (designed according to the child‟s height instead of weight) were checked – keeping the Fitters on their toes! The team of Fitters also reminded participants how vitally important it is to have all child restraints properly fitted to reduce the risk of death or serious injury in road crashes.

Groups interested in a similar visit from the Type 1 child car restraint fitters can contact the Road Safety Advisor for your region. Visit www.roadwise.asn.au for their details.

U3A learns about safe vehicles

The University of the Third Age in Albany recently had a presentation from the Road Safety Advisor for the Great Southern region, Erin McDonald-Lee, on the importance of safe vehicles. Most people believe that if they buy a new car then it must be safe, but when it comes to safety not all cars are created equal. Some vehicles offer better protection and more safety features than others, and not always at an increased cost. Key safety features such as Electronic Stability Control (ESC), side and curtain airbags, and seatbelt reminder systems can play a significant role in reducing the number and severity of crashes on our roads. Single vehicle run-off road crashes account for nearly 70 per cent of serious crashes in remote areas and over 50% in regional areas of Western Australia. It is estimated that single vehicle crashes could be reduced by 35% in passenger vehicles and 67% in four wheel drive and sports utility vehicles fitted with ESC. Erin encouraged the U3A members to prioritise safety when purchasing a new or used vehicle and explained how participants can research and identify the safety rating of vehicles to make their selection.

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Safer cars save lives The travelling display and competition for Safer Cars Save Lives dropped in on the Wongan Hills Community Resource Centre in August, providing information on the safety benefits of 5 star rated vehicles, and encouraging parents and novice drivers to consider carefully their first car purchase.

Laura Murray, trainee at Wongan Hills Community Resource Centre, promotes safer cars for novice drivers

Tips

What to ask for when buying a safer car (4 & 5-star ratings)

Active Head Restraints

Airbags

Crumple Zones

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Reinforced occupant compartment

Seat Belt Reminder System

Side impact protection.

Source: www.ancap.com.au

Type 1 Child Car Restraint Courses WALGA‟s RoadWise Program is planning courses in Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitting for 2014.

These nationally-accredited courses are conducted free of charge through funding from the Road Trauma Trust Account.

The aim of this training program is to provide people with the knowledge and skills to competently check and fit child car restraints in vehicles and to be part of a state-wide network of qualified and approved Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitters.

People interested in attending a course in Type 1 Child Car Restraint Fitting can contact their nearest Road Safety Advisor. For the contact details visit www.roadwise.asn.au/contact_us. For training dates see www.childcarrestraints.com.au/roadwise/ccr/dates.

Alternatively, complete an Expression of Interest

form available at the following link

www.childcarrestraints.com.au/roadwise/ccr/

expressionofinterest/file/at_download

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Road safety display trailers

One of the road safety display trailers made an appearance at the Koorda Show on Saturday 7 September. Pictured above are Gabbin and Koorda personality Vic Greenham, Koorda Shire President Ricky Storer and Agricultural Region MLA Mia Davies.

Shire of Coolgardie Congratulations to the Shire of Coolgardie Local Emergency Management Committee for including road safety into their meetings. We look forward to seeing some great road safety initiatives in the Coolgardie and Kambalda areas.

Keith Murfet from Toll received a „Human Spirit Award‟ at the September meeting of the Hedland RoadWise Group. This award was in recognition of Keith‟s dedication to road safety and for his assistance in re-establishing the Hedland RoadWise Group. A big congratulations to Keith for his great work.

Human Spirit Award, Hedland RoadWise Group

Committee News

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Q & A with RoadWise Road safety groups bring regions together South East Regional RoadWise Awareness Group (SERRAG) and South West Regional RoadWise Awareness Group (SWRRAG) have now both established an ongoing calendar of meetings. These groups enable local governments to share information and solutions regarding road safety issues at a regional level. This can often be in the form of road treatments that will improve road safety. WA Police, RAC and Main Roads also have representation in both groups and are able to share and exchange road safety information. Guest speakers are also able to provide information to Local Governments through these forums. Main Roads recently hosted a SWRRAG meeting and Paul Campbell from Main Roads Integrated Services Arrangements was able to provide answers to questions regarding the delivery of road improvements. Thanks to Main Roads for their continued support of these groups. Thanks also go to the City of Canning who recently hosted the September meeting of SERRAG at the River Eco Education Centre in Wilson. SERRAG membership includes representation from: City of Armadale, City of Canning, City of Belmont, City of Gosnells, Shire of Kalamunda and Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale, City of South Perth, Town of Victoria Park and the Perth Airport. SWRRAG members include representatives from: City of Cockburn, Town of East Fremantle, City of Fremantle, City of Kwinana, City of Mandurah, City of Melville and City of Rockingham.

Q. I need help getting my licence, where do I go?

A. The Department of Transport govern driver and vehicle licensing. They also provide information about road rules and regulations. Important documents and procedures can be found at http://www.transport.wa.gov.au/licensing/566.asp

Q. Who is behind the TV advertisements regarding road safety issues such as seatbelts and drink driving?

A. Road safety mass media campaigns are developed and implemented by the Office of Road safety. They produce online resources for use by the community and agencies. For more visit http://www.ors.wa.gov.au/.

Q. Who is responsible for advising Government on programs and initiatives for reducing road trauma?

A. The Road Safety Council advises the government. It considers advice from evidence-based research, community consultation, main government agencies and other stakeholders who have a role in road safety. Visit the Office of Road Safety site for more information: http://www.ors.wa.gov.au/Road-Safety-Council

Q. Where can I find out about road safety programs for children?

A. School Drug Education and Road Aware (known as SDERA), provide road safety programs that ensure children develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to avoid or reduce potential harm of unsafe road use (e.g. Keys for Life). More information can be found at the Department of Education‟s site http://www.det.wa.edu.au/sdera/detcms/navigation/road-safety/?oid=MultiPartArticle-id-1827482

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HOW SAFE IS THAT CAR?

WA Road Fatalities 2013

134 deaths as at 29 October

Same time last year: 147 deaths

Lets keep working Towards Zero

Source: ORS

Buckle up!

Latest ANCAP Results

Toyota Hilux (2013-on) Proton Suprima S (2013-on)

Kia Cerato (2013-on)

For the latest ANCAP crash test results visit http://www.ancap.com.au

Contact the RoadWise Program

Email: roadwise@walga.asn.au

Website: www.roadwise.asn.au

Child Car Restraints

www.childcarrestraints.com.au

Child Car Restraints information line

1300 780 713

Hours of operation Monday: 9am to 12pm Tuesday: 1pm to 4pm Wednesday: 9am to 12pm Thursday: 1pm to 4pm Friday: Closed

Road Safety Round-Up submissions roadwise@walga.asn.au

Find your Road Safety Advisor www.roadwise.asn.au/contact_us

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Upcoming events 2013 & 2014

2013

October Community Safety Month, 1-31 October, Injury Control Council of WA

November ACRS Australasian Conference, 7-8 November, Adelaide

11th Australasian Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion Conference, 11-13 November, Perth

Rural Road Maintenance – contact training@arrb.com.au for more information

White RibbonsTM for Road Safety campaign, 17 November - 6 January

City of Gosnells‟ World Day of Remembrance activities, 22 November. The City‟s RoadWise Advisory Group has organised a World Day of Remembrance Commemoration at Thornlie Senior High School

City of Rockingham RoadWise Advisory Committee is hosting a Towards Zero Road Safety Trailer at the Rockingham Community Fair (previously known as Spring Festival), 23-24 November

2014 March Transport and Roads Forum and LG Road Safety Awards, 6 March

May Fatality Free Friday 2014, 30 May

Submit your events by email to roadwise@walga.asn.au