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National Road Safety Week will switch focus to regional roads this Friday, 20 November with the theme Shine a Light on regional road safety.

Fatalities and serious injuries on regional roads continue to be over-represented in WA crash statistics with around 60% of all deaths occurring on country roads.

The Road Safety Commission approached Wheatbelt farmer and photographer Alan Carter to produce an image that embodied the Shine a Light message for National Road Safety Week.

“I am a keen photographer and the prospect of being involved in a ‘shoot’ like this was a great opportunity to add to my experience and learn some new skills,” said Mr Carter.

“Rural communities are very tight knit within towns and between towns - we do business, socialise, and play sport within our regions - and every loss of life or major injury has an impact on us all.

“No one’s life or physical ability to realise their goals need be cut short by a small inattention while on the road.

“The response from the members of the community was very positive and I had no trouble getting willing participants at first request.”

To raise awareness of the Shine a Light theme, motorists around the state are encouraged to switch on their headlights, making themselves more visible to other road users, even in daylight.

Last year, 85 lives were lost on regional roads in WA.

Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner met with Mt Lawley Primary School’s Year 6 students Renee Yu, Anya Prabica and Kloe Megaw on Thank a School Traffic Warden Day for National Road Safety Week 2020.

Renee, Anya and Kloe are Sustainability Captains of their school, and part of their duties is school traffic management to keep students safe on their journey to and from school.

The trio told Mr Warner they will be presenting Thank a School Traffic Warden certificates to the people who keep their fellow students safe while crossing Beaufort Street and Clifton Crescent.

“I feel safe walking to school and the drivers are respectful and slow down for the students,” said Kloe.

“I always use the school traffic wardens to cross the road when I walk to school,” said Anya.

“It’s great to see students involved in setting school traffic management for their classmates, ensuring they are safe during the busy drop off and pick up times at school,” said Mr Warner.

“I was very impressed to hear that Renee, Anya and Kloe feel safe when making their way to school as a result of the safe practices put in place by their school.”

Schools, teachers, and students can get involved in National Road Safety Week with resources available for class and home on the NRSW Resources page.

Thanks for the contributions of thousands of Western Australians across 52 face to face forums throughout the state and online submissions, Western Australia’s new road safety strategy has been released. The strategy sets ambitious targets to reduce the number of people fatally, severely and seriously injured by 50 to 70 % by 2030 and to zero by 2050.

Image features from left to right: Adrian Warner, Road Safety Commissioner. Michelle Roberts BA DipEd MLA. Minister for Police; Road Safety and Iain Cameron, Director General, Department of Transport.