Don't be a Turkey on the Road this Christmas

This festive season, let’s keep the turkeys on our dinner tables and off our roads.

Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, said the awful reality is that during the holiday season families and friends around Australia have faced the personal tragedy of losing a loved one to a road crash.

“Thirty-seven people died on our roads in the two-week Christmas/New Year holiday period last year,” Ms King said.

“This is, by any measure, far too high. Any death on Australian roads is one death too many.  

“The truth is that most road tragedies are entirely avoidable and that makes our grief all the more difficult to bear.

“We have long known that the main risk factors are speeding, alcohol and drugs, driver fatigue and failure to wear a seatbelt. 

“And yet, time and time again we find one or more of these dangerous behaviours involved in the death of a road user.

“In the lead up to Christmas this year I encourage everyone to stick to the basics: Avoid drink driving, keep to the speed limit, take regular breaks, wear your seatbelt and don’t misuse mobile phones—just use plain common sense.

“If you are driving long distances, make sure you are well-rested before you depart, avoid driving when you would normally be sleeping and allow plenty of time to get to your destination; and if you overindulge and are feeling the effects, don’t drive.

 “These basic driving rules will greatly reduce the possibility of a serious crash and will mean we all get to enjoy Christmas safely, together with our loved ones.

 “Crashes are not just something that happens to someone else, they can happen to you and those around you—we all need to take responsibility for that and drive safely.

 “While the Australian and state and territory governments are working hard to save lives on our roads everyone has their part to play—don’t be a turkey on the road this Christmas,” Ms King concluded.