With many Australians expected to hit the roads over the Easter period, there’s an even greater need to drive safely, especially as our national road toll reaches its highest level in more than a decade.
The impact is being felt in communities across the country, with First Nations people more than three times more likely to die in a road accident than other Australians.
Helping to change this, particularly as we approach the Easter holiday period, high-profile identities Troy Cassar-Daley and Scott Prince are urging mob to reflect on their behaviour behind the wheel.
As part of the Australian Government’s ‘Safer driving starts with you’ road safety campaign, the duo are asking all road users, including their fellow First Nations Australians, to reflect on their behaviours in a car and remind them that safer driving starts with us all.
Highly awarded country music songwriter and musician Troy Cassar-Daley is a proud Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung man and says he’s probably spent more time on the road getting to gigs than he has on stage, and during this time, he’s seen a lot of poor behaviour on the roads.
“I’ve seen worse behaviour on the roads than at any concert – and often from very experienced drivers!”
“It’s probably been a while since a lot of us have really thought about our driving and what you can do to help keep yourself and others safe on the roads. Don’t get distracted by your phone, others in the car, or get hot-headed. You wouldn’t do dumb or inconsiderate things outside of a car, so why do them in one,” he said.
Scott Prince, a proud Kalkadoon man from Mt Isa, who played NRL for the Brisbane Broncos in Queensland and West Tigers in NSW, knows the devastating impact of the road toll first-hand.
“I hadn’t been playing for the Broncos very long when I lost my Dad in a car accident, just weeks after my 21st birthday. I think about him every day. None of us think it can happen to us, but you just never know,” he said.
“You might think you’re a safe driver, but no matter how experienced you are, it’s always a good thing to be reminded about your driving behaviour and what you can be doing to keep yourself and others safe on the road. Before you pack up the car to go away this Easter and load the kids into the back of the vehicle, take a moment to reflect on what it means to be a safe driver behind the wheel.”
With the messaging ‘Don’t let a car change who you are – Safer driving starts with you’, the campaign reminds road users across the country to think about their actions behind the wheel, remembering that sometimes the way we behave inside a car might not align with our everyday values.
First Nations people are also 30 per cent more likely to be hospitalised due to a road crash. Behaviour on the roads affects not just ourselves, but friends, family and our communities.
“Sometimes being behind the wheel can bring out the worst in us and we get angry or impatient and do stupid things,” Scott said.
“It’s probably been a while since a lot of us have really thought about our driving”, said Troy.
“So, take a sec and think about what you can do to help keep yourself and other safe on the roads.”
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