Sunday, 1 September marked the start of the Rural Road Safety Month, an initiative created by the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF).
It has prompted the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) to release important safety and care reminders for motorists outside urban areas.
Although rural and regional roads are significantly less populated than urban centres, fatalities on rural and regional roads make up roughly two-thirds of the driving death toll each year.
In 2023, 811 lives were lost on these roads.
These deaths can have tragic impacts on local communities, and serve as a reminder as to why it is always imperative for drivers to stay safe and vigilant.
NHVR CEO, Sal Petroccitto has stressed the importance of the Rural Road Safety Month to try and reduce this statistic.
“We know in our experience at the NHVR that travelling on rural and regional roads comes with unique challenges and risks.” he said.
“Speed limits are greater, roads may be unsealed and there can be more environmental challenges such as animals or visual obstructions.
“It is why we want to use Rural Road Safety Month to implore all road users to ensure they are taking extra caution when getting behind the wheel, including behind well-rested and ready to drive.”
From January to July of this year, 92 lives have been lost in collisions involving heavy vehicles — 60 of these were in regional, rural or remote areas.
Petroccitto and the NHVR have also stressed precautions that drivers need to take when sharing the roads with heavy vehicles.
“It is important to always maintain a safe following distance, only overtake when it is safe to do so, and give heavy vehicles extra space,” he said.
“Sadly, collisions involving a heavy vehicle—because of their size and weight—are much more likely to have devastating outcomes for those involved.
“It is why at the NHVR we are so passionate about playing our part to drive down the road toll and ensure all motorists—including our nation’s truckies—are getting home safe.”