Raising awareness on rural road safety
Now in its fifth year, Rural Road Safety Month is a national awareness campaign targeting regional and rural road safety throughout September.
An initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation, this community based road safety campaign highlights the additional risks presented when driving on our rural and remote roads.
In a year that's seen 41 fatalities on Tasmanian roads, it's as important as ever to heed the road safety message.
Rural road crashes account for more than 65 per cent of the Australian road toll, with the rate of serious road-related injury in rural areas nearly twice that of major cities.
With almost all Australians using high risk rural roads at least once a year, regardless of where you live or work you should always remember to be cautious and alert when driving.
These roads can present additional risks - with higher speed limits, less forgiving road designs, trees that can be hit, culverts and drop-offs.
This Rural Road Safety Month, make road safety a priority for you and your fellow road users:
Obey the road rules
Be alert for livestock, wildlife and pedestrians
Take breaks
Ensure your vehicle is roadworthy, registered and in good mechanical order
Be mindful of distance and isolation in remote areas
Always be fit to drive
Scan the road ahead
Know your limits and plan your trip
Stay sharp and take regular breaks
Don't drive through flood waters
Drive to suit the conditions
For further information on rural road safety, visit the Australian Road Safety Foundation website. You can also pledge to make your promise to choose road safety, take responsibility for yourself and others, obey the road rules and be a safe road user.