Australia is on track in 2016 to equal the number of pedestrian fatalities recorded in 2015, which grew for the third consecutive year.
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The Australian Road Safety Federation (ARSF) has extended an initiative it hopes will reverse the statistics and start to see a decline in the number of deaths and injuries.
Narromine Shire residents are being urged to help make streets safer by applying ‘Life Saving’ stickers to their garbage wheelie bins.
The large stickers, which feature life-size images of children stepping towards the road and speed limit signs, are designed to provide a strong visual road safety reminder to motorists.
The images are based on research which found that signs that depicted motion, resulted in faster reaction times and increased vigilance among would-be drivers, which could ultimately lead to faster stopping times.
Use of the stickers in other Australian states has seen over 5,000 distributed and applied to wheelie binsthroughout the country.
So powerful is the campaign, some Councils are buying them in bulk to make available to residents. The ARSF now wants more residents in NSW to get on board.
“Between January and May this year 67 pedestrians were killed on Australian roads. If trends continue the number could reach or even exceed last year’s number of 165,” ARSF CEO Russell White said.
“Drivers need to be sent a reminder that is visual and available to them when they are on the road. The ‘Life Saving’ sticker campaign provides a real-time reminder to motorists to reduce their speed.
“If someone is exceeding the speed limit, we hope these stickers will prompt them to immediately slow down. Even small changes in vehicle speed can have a dramatic impact on stopping distances.”
Of the 67 pedestrians killed so far this year, seven were under 16 years of age.
“We also know that the statistics show fatalities are higher on week days when over 82% of this year’s fatalities have been recorded,” Mr White said.
“NSW has recorded almost half the pedestrian deaths occurring in Australia in 2016 with 46.3 percent of deaths occurring this year happening within the state.
“These are just the fatality rates. There have been many more injured and even left with life changing disabilities.”
The Australian Road Safety Foundation launched the initiative in Queensland earlier this year as an education program.
It makes the life-size stickers available at cost, $10 each, plus postage. Word has spread fast with orders coming from all over the country.
“We are also seeing Councils and corporate organisations purchasing the stickers in bulk.”
For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/fatalityfreefriday.
