Drivers in Western Australia are being urged to start the New Year with a focus on road safety following a rise in road deaths last year.
According to preliminary data from the Road Safety Commission, 164 people lost their lives on WA’s roads in 2019.
“Last year was one of our worst in recent years for road fatalities, and the impact of each individual life lost is widespread and will last a lifetime,” said Will Golsby, RAC General Manager Corporate Affairs.
“This year, we don’t want to see anyone killed or injured on our roads. One life lost is one too many.
“We all have a responsibility to reduce deaths and serious injuries and that’s why we’re asking all Western Australians to make safe driving their New Year’s resolution.”
According to the RAC, 60 percent of WA’s road fatalities occur on regional roads and the organisation is calling for the State Government’s Regional Road Safety Package to be fully funded in the 2020/21 State and Federal Budgets.
Mr Golsby says the package would accelerate crucial road upgrades to more than 17,000 kilometres of WA’s regional road network and claims the improvements could reduce road trauma by 60 percent and prevent more than 2,100 serious crashes from occurring in the next decade.
