THE Transport Accident Commission has announced a renewed partnership with regional media outlets – including the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette – as part of the state’s efforts to stem deaths and casualties on country roads.
TAC chief executive officer Joe Calafiore said regional media outlets had a major role to play in Victoria’s march towards zero road deaths and serious injuries.
He said there was a pressing need to address road trauma, with regional Victorians four times more likely to be killed and 40 per cent more likely to be seriously injured than people in Melbourne.
The TAC’s Talk The Toll Down partnership with 65 regional newspapers was launched four years ago in Ballarat and Mr Calafiore said that partnership would continue under a new name – Towards Zero.
“Regional newspapers connect deeply with their communities and the continuation of this partnership recognises the influential role they can play in promoting safer road use within those communities,” he said.
The announcement follows the TAC’s launch of the popular Towards Zero campaign, encouraging Victoria to consider how losing a loved one would affect their family and to aim for a future where no-one is killed or seriously injured on the roads.
“Towards Zero sets an ambitious target but unless we are aiming towards zero, we’re saying to ourselves that we accept people will die or be badly hurt just because they use our roads,” Mr Calafiore said. “We can never accept that.”
Mr Calafiore said that, while mistakes could always be made on the roads, the goals of Towards Zero could be achieved with the creation of an overall safer road system.
“We are working with our safety partners and the Victorian Government to create a safer, more forgiving road system that will cushion people from death or serious injury when a mistake is made.”
The TAC and VicRoads are delivering a $1 billion Safe System Roads Infrastructure Program to turn some of the state’s highest risk roads into some of the safest.
Star News Group editor Garry Howe said the Gazette team was committed to help achieve the quest for zero road trauma by continuing to lead the conversation on road safety issues in the region.
