Mr Tanner’s remarks came one day after a driver died in Strathmerton after a collision with a tree and on the same day another driver, a 91-year-old Rushworth man, died in a crash at Euroa.
In the first part of the meeting, Mr Tanner addressed the issue of road trauma and fatalities. He reiterated that the council was doing everything possible to reduce the number of deaths on the shire’s roads, including planning a new safety initiative.
“Council has taken the position that there needs to be some local work that needs to be done in regards to a local campaign, to make people aware of the concern and the damage this is doing within the community,” Mr Tanner said.
Consequently, council has requested more road funding from the state and federal governments to run a local campaign highlighting the importance of driving safely.
Council has also contacted various government agencies, including police, TAC and Road Safety Victoria.
“It is important that we as a local community stand up on this matter and try and improve the situation, in particular as far as driver behaviour is concerned,” Mr Tanner said.
According to Mr Tanner, research conducted by council regarding driver behaviour has shown that speed, not wearing a seatbelt and general bad driving behaviour contribute to some of the recent accidents.
“Our numbers in regards to fatalities and also injuries are well above the state average,” Mr Tanner said.
Council hopes to formally announce the campaign before Christmas.
The campaign will aim to raise awareness for both locals and visitors.
After the meeting, Mr Tanner reiterated his plea for drivers to be safer on the regional roads and to drive according to road conditions.
“It’s all about awareness ... we’re driving on roads, and some of those roads do have potholes, as a result of the conditions that we’ve encountered in recent times, but drive accordingly,” he said.
“Drive according to your road conditions, be mindful of the fact of other people on the road. This is so important. There’s a lot we can do ourselves ... to ensure the safety of ourselves and others.”
