For release 4 April 2012

Road Safety Still a High Priority for Police

Police Commissioners have repeated calls to reduce speed this Easter after the horrific loss of life witnessed on our roads last Christmas holiday period. Police are conducting Operation Crossroads this Easter (5-9 April 2012) to focus awareness about road safety issues, in particular drink/drug driving, speeding, fatigue, distractions and seatbelt compliance.

Jon White CEO of ANZPAA, the agency that serves Police Commissioners in Australia and New Zealand , said that: “Police Commissioners are asking drivers to be particularly careful this Easter. Although Australia and New Zealand witnessed some of the lowest total road toll figures for 2011, the Christmas holiday road toll period was one of the highest it has been in some time.”

“Many road users continue to show a disregard for their safety and the safety of others by continuing to travel at excessive speed.

“Some motorists regard breaking the speed limits and getting caught as ‘unlucky’. But the consequences of driving too fast can be very serious. Moderating speed is critical in having safer roads and reducing the chances of injury or death,” said Mr White.

Excessive speed accounts for 34 per cent of deaths and is also a contributory factor for more than 13-20 per cent of serious injuries on Australian and New Zealand roads[1].

Police hold several road safety campaigns in their own regions throughout the year to educate the community about the risks involved in using roads. Operation Crossroads is the national campaign where all police jurisdictions across Australia and New Zealand get together to educate and encourage motorists to drive appropriately while being aware of the associated dangers.

The weekend of action is only a small part of the Police Commissioners’ commitment to reduce the number of people killed or injured on our roads. Operation Crossroads takes the Safe System approach to road safety. Safe System is a holistic road safety method used by governments in Australia and New Zealand . It represents a fundamental shift in the way road safety is thought about. The Safe System links safe roads and roadsides, safe vehicles and safe road use

Mr White said that while speed was one of the contributors to road accidents and fatalities, there were many variables that contribute to road trauma tragedies such as alcohol, drugs, fatigue, mobile phone use and not wearing seatbelts.

“Speed is a major cause of serious road accidents; however we don’t just want people to think that as long as you stick to the speed limit you are safe. We are calling for all drivers to constantly evaluate their speed among other aspects of their driving, such as obeying road rules, paying attention to your surroundings and being courteous to other road users, " said Mr White.

As well as tackling speeding and dangerous driving, police officers will also be continuing their clampdown on drivers and passengers who have traffic infringement notices, driving under the influence of alcohol and other drugs and committing licence offences.

ENDS

More information:

For national holiday road toll statistics please go to: http://www.anzpaa.org.au/current-initiatives/australian-road-safety-campaign

Previous Easter National Road Toll Statistics
Australia Easter 2011: 20, New Zealand Easter 2011: 5
Australia Easter 2010: 13, New Zealand Easter 2010: 12
Australia Easter 2009: 18, New Zealand Easter 2009: 7

Notes to the Editor:
Operation Crossroads is a joint initiative of Police Commissioners across Australia and New Zealand . Operation Crossroads supports the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety which was launched in May 2011. The operation starts on 5 April 2012 and ends on 9 April 2012.

To find out more information on Operation Crossroads please visit www.anzpaa.org.au

For road safety statistics please go to www.anzpaa.org.au

The Safe System approach includes:
• designing and maintaining roads and roadsides to reduce risk as low as reasonably practical
• setting speed limits according to the safety of the road and roadside
• advising, educating and encouraging road users to comply with road rules, be unimpaired and alert, and drive according to the prevailing conditions
• encouraging consumers to purchase safer vehicles with primary safety features that reduce the likelihood of a crash, such as electronic stability control, and secondary safety features that reduce injury severity in a crash, such as side curtain airbags.

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