‘Wipe Off 5 to save lives’ urges CityThe Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Latrobe City Council are urging local drivers to reduce their speed By Latrobe City Council - 14th August 2001 - Back to News The Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Latrobe City Council are urging local drivers to reduce their speed by five kilometres per hour to prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
Latrobe City Community Safety Planner, Henk Harberts, said Latrobe City was backing the TAC’s latest anti-speeding campaign, known as ‘Wipe Off 5’. Mr Harberts said the campaign had been prompted by a study revealing that a significant number of drivers believed that travelling five to ten kilometres over the speed limit was safe.
"The survey results and research confirm that there is no such thing as ‘safe’ speeding. For vulnerable road-users, such as bicyclists and pedestrians, small differences in vehicle travelling speeds can mean the difference between life and death," Mr Harberts said.
"We’re asking citizens to keep an eye on their speedo and drive at the designated speed limit each time they’re behind the wheel. Get into the conscious habit of strictly sticking to the speed limit, not just because that way you’re likely to avoid a speeding ticket, but because you respect your own and other people’s safety," Mr Harberts said.
TAC Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Grant, said road accidents could be reduced by 15 per cent if all motorists were to obey the Wipe Off 5 message.
"Research studies have found that a driver’s risk of crashing doubles with every 5 km/h travelled over the speed limit in a 60 km/h zone," Mr Grant said.
"It is not just the number of accidents but the intensity of those accidents. If every Victorian driver reduced their average travel speed by just 5km/h – last year alone 95 lives could have been saved and more than 1,300 serious injuries prevented," Mr Grant added.
"It’s not worth risking your life or other people’s because you’re running a little late or hurrying to get somewhere. Chances are that travelling five kilometres over the limit won’t save you much time on your trip," Mr Grant concluded.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: latrobecity@gippslander.com
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