Governing bodies gather to launch Road Safety Week and help reduce high death toll

Tasmanians have been urged to “drive so others survive” as concerns mount over the state’s horrific road toll.

• Concerns raised over Tasmania’s road safety as death toll soars
• Tasmania’s road death toll continues to climb above the national average

MORE needs to be done to address Tasmania’s “significant problem” with road safety, the state’s peak motoring body says.

To date 32 lives have been lost on Tasmanian roads in 2020 – six more than the same time last year – with 226 serious injuries so far this year, which is up 16 on the same period last year.

RACT chief member experience officer Stacey Pennicott said the high death toll should serve as a wake-up call to Tasmanians after a “horror” year on state roads.

“With our borders shut for a number of months and less people on our roads, you would hope the number of serious injuries and fatalities would have reduced compared to last year rather than dramatically increase,” Ms Pennicott said during the launch of Road Safety Week on Sunday.

“It shows that we have a significant problem with road safety and more needs to be done.

“With the holiday season approaching, we need to have a clear focus on making sure no one dies on our roads over the Christmas-New Year period.”

RACT chief member experience officer Stacey Pennicott. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Tasmania Police Inspector Ruth Orr said road fatalities and injuries created widespread trauma.

“It’s a penalty, if you like, for emergency service workers who attend crashes and also for police officers who have to attend family members houses to let them know someone has been seriously injured or killed,” she said.

“It’s really quite traumatic for everybody concerned so I would urge motorists to drive to survive.”

Road Safety Advisory Council chair Garry Bailey said Tasmanians should drive so others survive.

“Think about who the others on the road are – grandparents, children, your mates at work. Road safety is very personal,” he said.

“Imagine getting that knock on the door.”

Transport Minister Michael Ferguson said the state government and Road Safety Advisory Council were working to make roads safer, in line with the government’s Towards Zero Action Plan 2020-2024.

To mark Road Safety Week, the Burnie Makers Centre, Launceston Town Hall and the Salvation Army Centre in Lutana will be lit in yellow.

A free yellow ribbon to wear or place on your vehicle for awareness of the initiative is available at Service Tasmania outlets.