Melinda Pavey: Stark numbers show we still have room to improve

FORTY-one minutes. It’s almost exactly how long it takes to watch half a game of rugby league. As any fan knows, it can fly by. That’s how often someone is killed or seriously injured in NSW.

Happily the three 18-year-olds in this high speed crash in Penrith in July survived. Many people are not so lucky. Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW

FORTY-one minutes. It’s almost exactly how long it takes to watch half a game of rugby league. As any fan knows, it can fly by.

That’s how often someone is killed or seriously injured in NSW.

Just one simple, everyday mistake or bad decision behind the wheel can end lives, shatter families and devastate entire communities.

EXPLAINER: The Think and Drive campaign

Last year we lost 392 lives on our roads and about 12,500 people were seriously injured.

No one thinks this is acceptable. As a government we are investing billions in making our roads safer, from duplicating the Pacific Hwy to sealing the last 200km of the Cobb and Silver City highways.

Roads are closed after a fatal crash between three motorcycles and two cars on Sir Bertram Stevens Drive in The Royal National Park near the Bundeena in June.

We also recently launched our Road Safety Plan 2021, a blueprint to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads. Police enforcement and education play a big role in changing driver attitudes. There’ll be an additional 50 highway patrol officers deployed to regional areas.

MORE: Middle-aged blokes the biggest hazard on NSW roads

This year marks 40 years since NSW recorded its worst road toll. In 1978, a staggering 1384 people were killed.
Compared to today we are saving around 1000 lives a year, but there is always more to do.

Forty-one minutes. It’s time to change the game.

The Think and Drive campaign aims to reduce the road toll.