Road safety advocate Mr Peter Frazer founder of The Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group with CGRC mayor Cr Abb McAlister at Tuesday’s councillor workshop. Mr Frazer presented a certificate of appreciation to Council for the participation and commitment CGRC has made to 2019 Yellow Ribbon National Road Safety Week.
Cootamundra-Gundagai Regional Council hosted road safety advocate Mr Peter Frazer at a councillor workshop on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Frazer was in Cootamundra to pass on his appreciation to Council for participating in the in 2019 Yellow Ribbon National Road Safety Week held in May. National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, partnering road safety organisations and Government. With its motto of “Drive So Others Survive!” the Week highlights the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.
The Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group was established by Peter Frazer after his 23-year-old daughter Sarah was killed in a road crash on the Hume Highway in February 2012. Sarah was on her way to Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga when her car broke down. As her car stopped, she pulled over into the 1.5 metre emergency lane. Unfortunately, the emergency lane had not been built to the 3 metre Australian standard, leaving the car partially in a 110 kph high speed lane. After the towtruck driver arrived to assist, just 63 seconds later, a distracted truck driver would crash into the car, tragically killing both instantly.
Since then Mr Frazer has travelled the country promoting road safety. Mr Frazer thanked Councillors and staff for embracing the initiative, and seeing the number of CGRC vehicles displaying the Yellow Ribbons, acknowledged Council’s great and ongoing commitment to saving lives and preventing serious injuries and commented on the amount of CGRC vehicles displaying the Yellow Ribbons. His presentation on road safety focussed on what Councils could do to assist with reducing the national road toll. “With ‘Vision Zero’ as the foundation of everything we do, SARAH recognises the importance of local government because that’s where we can make the biggest difference… that’s where the “rubber meets the road” Mr Frazer said. “Councils connection to their community is what absolutely matters and as a key stakeholder, what they do for road safety has a direct and lasting effect!
They not only build and maintain local infrastructure, lobby the State Government to improve State and National highways and engage at all levels to promote road safety… and with two thirds of deaths and serious injuries occurring on rural and regional roads, when something happens in a community, it becomes personal to every Councillor and every staff member!” Mr Frazer said. Mr Frazer presented CGRC mayor Cr Abb McAlister with a certificate of appreciation at the end of his presentation. Cr McAlister said the work of the SARAH Group and road safety initiatives was a priority for Council.
“We are all affected in some way or another by road accidents, it’s the responsibility of all of us as drivers to ensure we are driving so we all survive. A distraction whilst driving can be fatal. The SARAH Group programs and the Yellow Ribbon National Road Safety Week are initiatives we as a council can embrace and take part in, to reinforce these important messages” Cr McAlister said. CGRC Road Safety Officer Anthony Carroll also gave a presentation to Councillors informing them of the role of Road Safety Officer and the resources the role has to address Councils road safety plan.
Following on Mr Carroll and CGRC Project Engineer Mr Tim Morris presented a report to Councillors focussing on the proposed introduction of a 40km/h High Pedestrian Activity Area (HPAA) for Gundagai’s main street, Sheridan Street. Councillors were given a detailed explanation of the advantages of a HPAA and data from Transport for NSW (TfNSW) on pedestrian accidents. The HPAA proposal will be presented to TfNSW as an alternative to the reinstatement of pedestrian crossings in Sheridan Street.
