Mandurah to come together for a Fatality Free Friday

The campaign, which will be held next Friday, hopes to encourage residents to take basic measures to keep themselves and others safe on the road and have no fatalities on the day.

“Part of this focus is obviously fatality free so what we are aiming to achieve is that people drive in such a way that they are not going to die,” WA Police traffic enforcement officer in charge Matt Froude said.

“The only two things that we can’t police are fatigue and inattention so that they are the two things that we are really asking people to really pay attention to.”

He said Mandurah had already seen an accident this week caused by a distracted driver, when a van hit a stationary car and burst into flames on Pinjarra Road on Monday afternoon, and encouraged residents to make sure they put safety first.

He said police continued to target offences such as using a mobile phone, speeding and not wearing a seatbelt but it was ultimately up to the drivers to make the right choices.

“Having a license it’s a privilege it’s not a right, and with that privilege comes some responsibility to actually drive to the conditions of the road, drive to the conditions of the traffic and pay attention while you are on the road,” he said.

“People need to choose that themselves.”

Mandurah mayor Marina Vergone asked residents to make sure they were fit to drive, their car was roadworthy and they had the right licence before hitting the road.

“When you are on that road tired that’s when you are going to start having accidents and you are actually putting other people at risk,” she said.

“Look after yourself, make sure your car is roadworthy as well, make sure you have a license to drive.

“Every person that dies is one too many.”

Mandurah Road Wise Committee chairman Syd Wilson said the group was working very hard to educate drivers and pedestrians in road safe practices.

“And don’t blame these blokes [police] if you get a ticket,” he said.

He also encouraged parents to make sure their children knew basic road safety rules and advised them to drop them off near pedestrian crossings.

Residents can visit fatalityfreefriday.com to sign an online pledge ahead of Fatality Free Friday on May 26.

Alternatively, they can visit the City’s administration Building at 3 Peel Street where a booth will be set up.

By signing the pledge residents commit to: