Mandurah drivers are being urged to ditch the distractions and take extra care behind the wheel this holiday season.
Crash statistics revealed 21 people were killed on Western Australian roads during the holiday period from mid-December 2017 to the end of January 2018, with 14 of these fatalities occurring on regional roads.
RAC corporate affairs general manager Will Golsby said there had been too much devastation on WA roads this year, reinforcing the need for motorists to put safety at the top of their to-do list.
The best gift Western Australians can give their friends and family this Christmas is ensuring they take extra care on the roads.
- RAC corporate affairs general manager Will Golsby
“The impact of road trauma has a ripple effect on the community and tragically 151 lives have been lost on Western Australian roads this year, with many more serious injuries,” he said.
“Driver inattention, be it deliberate or unintended, is becoming one of the leading causes of deaths and serious injuries, so we urge all Western Australians to be vigilant, look up and keep mobile phones out of arms reach whilst driving.
“Christmas is a popular time for holidays in regional WA, an area where the road fatality rate is five times higher than Perth metropolitan, so we remind drivers to plan their journey and take adequate breaks to fight fatigue.”
Last year, RAC also received 4,430 collision claims for the month of December alone, nearly all of which could have been prevented.
“Our advice to motorists is to be patient, considerate and safe. Drive at a speed suitable for the road conditions and do not travel above the speed limit, avoid distraction, wear your seatbelt, plan ahead to ensure enough rest stops, and nominate a skipper if you’re planning to have a drink,” Mr Golsby said.
“The best gift Western Australians can give their friends and family this Christmas is ensuring they take extra care on the roads.”
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The Christmas/New Year Double Demerits period will come into effect on Friday, December 21 until Sunday, January 6.
Mandurah Police have also warned they will be out in force during the festive season.
Acting Senior Sergeant Anthony Nemeth said there would be extra police presence on the roads to ensure the public were driving safely these holidays.
“There’s a dedicated traffic operation running from the 21st to the 26th of December, focusing on road safety and driving offences,” he said.
“We will be targeting driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, reckless and careless driving, speeding, people with no authority to drive, use of mobile phones and making sure people are wearing seatbelts or helmets.
“Stay safe and don’t drink and drive – no alcohol limit is a safe limit.
“Keep your speed down and your seatbelts on and if you’re travelling longer distances, make sure you take breaks to combat fatigue.
“We want a zero fatality or injury rate, ideally.”
