1 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: We are in the midst of Rural Road Safety Month, 2 00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: which is timely considering a lot of people hitting country 3 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: roads to go somewhere for the school holidays, and often 4 00:00:10,400 --> 00:00:15,000 Speaker 1: people that don't normally drive on country roads. Donna Kayley 5 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: is the general manager of the Australian Road Safety Foundation 6 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:20,120 Speaker 1: and she's joining us this morning. 7 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 2: Hello Donna, you're welcome to Donna. 8 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 3: Good morning, how are you this morning? 9 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: Very well? Rural Road Safety Month? What do you hope 10 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: it will achieve? 11 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,159 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look, it's a really important topic for us, you know, 12 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 3: particularly given that the amount of fatalities that happen in 13 00:00:40,159 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 3: rural and remote regions right across the country. You know, 14 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:46,520 Speaker 3: we've got only a third of Australians living in rural 15 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 3: and remote areas, yet the road toll sees, you know, 16 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 3: two thirds of the fatality is happening in those areas. 17 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,400 Speaker 3: So we want people to think about road safety as 18 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 3: they're traveling out and particularly you know, as school holidays 19 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 3: are approaching. 20 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 4: Donnie, can we move sort of straight through some stats 21 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 4: because we keep hearing stories and of course one death 22 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 4: on our roads is too one too many. But is 23 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:11,160 Speaker 4: it true that the stats are showing that the original 24 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 4: deaths of the fatilities numbers have risen. 25 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 3: It is, it is very true, and you know it's 26 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,559 Speaker 3: really alarming to see that. You know, they're continuing to rise. 27 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 3: And you know, we when we launched a real road 28 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:26,840 Speaker 3: safety months are absolutely going in the wrong direction this 29 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 3: year and more alarming. You know, I've seen some new 30 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,119 Speaker 3: stats to come out, you know, this week, and when 31 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 3: I look at some of those statistics. I looked at 32 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:39,960 Speaker 3: some new statistics overnight showing you know, it's increasing get again. 33 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 3: And what alarms me even more is when I look 34 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 3: at statistics seeing and in w A and particular, you know, 35 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 3: in that period from January to August, there's statistics telling 36 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 3: me that, you know, seven lives have been lost to 37 00:01:55,320 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 3: children under the age of seven in Wa alone. That's 38 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 3: just shocking statistics. If we're losing seven children, that's you know, 39 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 3: that's terrible. Let alone the other one hundred and twenty 40 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 3: people that have been lost. Now they're real people, real 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 3: families that are suffering right across the nation. That the 42 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 3: statistics just going in a terrible direction. 43 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: What is it about the Do you think people are 44 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,720 Speaker 1: more complacent when they get on these roads? 45 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think it's just it's the lack of preparedness 46 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 3: that I guess really concerns as, particularly in rural and 47 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 3: remote areas in particular, and the risks that you know, 48 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 3: people are taking. Our research tells us that the people 49 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 3: are more willing to take risks on rural and remote 50 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 3: roads simply because they feel that you know, they're simply 51 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 3: not going to get caught. Yet, you know, they're not 52 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 3: prepared for those rural and remote areas where the conditions 53 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 3: are very different to what they might be traveling on 54 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:00,519 Speaker 3: in their locals. 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, driving in the country is an entirely different animal 56 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: to driving in the city, and people don't make any 57 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,560 Speaker 1: adjustment at all. I mean, if you're going to overtake 58 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: something at one hundred and ten and then you've got 59 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:16,440 Speaker 1: things coming the other way at one hundred and ten, 60 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:20,360 Speaker 1: it's an entirely different preparation you need to make before 61 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: you do that. 62 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 3: Absolutely, And you know those roads are often, you know, 63 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 3: very different conditions to what you might have in metropolitan areas. 64 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 3: You know, there's a lot of different things that you 65 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 3: might be looking out for, you know, wildlife changing conditions, 66 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 3: you know, different potholes, much narrower roads. You know you've 67 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 3: got tractors and different types of vehicles that might be entering. 68 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 3: You don't know what's around the next corner. So it 69 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 3: is that preparedness. And you know, we want people to 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 3: slow down and arrive at your destination. If you arrive, 71 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 3: you know, twenty minutes later than what you might have 72 00:03:54,640 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 3: been considering, you might want to get there. At least 73 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 3: you're arriving safe and happy with your family. 74 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,280 Speaker 4: I just want to ask the question, Donoian, if you're 75 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 4: you see a pilot preparing for a flight, you know 76 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 4: we'd be at a plane or a helicopter. They do a 77 00:04:05,920 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 4: lot of preparation in the meantime. Do you think we 78 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 4: just get blase and quite often take driving in the 79 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:13,400 Speaker 4: safety of our journey and our rival for granted, and 80 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 4: then treat it just like any other thing, like a 81 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 4: conversation at home before you go. 82 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:20,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, we absolutely do. And you know that's that's 83 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 3: what we want, you know, Australians to stop and think about, 84 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 3: is that preparedness and really focus on that. You know, 85 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 3: we were really alarmed when we put some research into 86 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 3: the market to find that people just aren't thinking about 87 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,960 Speaker 3: that preparedness, and particularly in wa given the size of 88 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 3: the state. When we hear things like, you know, fifty 89 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 3: three percent aren't even thinking about emergency supplies. You know, 90 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:47,360 Speaker 3: over fifty percent don't think about a possible alternative route. 91 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 3: You know, they're not thinking about combating fatigue. People you know, 92 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 3: getting up early and traveling when they normally wouldn't and 93 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: the effect that that might have on them. You know, 94 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 3: those sorts of things just shouldn't be happening when you 95 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 3: use the road. It's the single most dangerous thing that 96 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 3: we do every single day, yet we don't give it 97 00:05:06,480 --> 00:05:07,200 Speaker 3: a second thought. 98 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,600 Speaker 2: So what should be on that preparedness checklist? 99 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 3: Look, absolutely first and foremost should be your vehicle checklist 100 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 3: and making sure that your vehicle is fit for the road. 101 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:23,480 Speaker 3: But in line with that is yourself as well, making 102 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: sure that you're fit and healthy and ready for that 103 00:05:26,440 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 3: trip ahead. And you know, never ever should you be 104 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 3: putting you know, getting there at the right time ahead 105 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:35,200 Speaker 3: of your your readiness and your vehicle's readiness. 106 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,039 Speaker 4: Donor is the quality and therefore the safety of our roads? 107 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:39,440 Speaker 4: Is it up to scratch? Are we getting there? 108 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:40,640 Speaker 2: Is it? We still a long way off? 109 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 3: Look, we're a large country and there can always be 110 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,040 Speaker 3: much more that we can do on our rural roads. 111 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,560 Speaker 3: You know, we often ask people, you know, who do 112 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,560 Speaker 3: we think is responsible for road safety? And always that 113 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,159 Speaker 3: answer comes back to, you know, we can have better policing, 114 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 3: or we can have better roads, but at the end 115 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:03,480 Speaker 3: of the day, it's personal responsibility as well. And if 116 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:07,479 Speaker 3: we can't get the community on site and take personal responsibility, 117 00:06:07,560 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 3: we won't bring down the road toll because no matter 118 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 3: how much we do building better roads and having more policing, 119 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 3: we still need community support and we still need to 120 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 3: make better choices in and around the road. 121 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:23,120 Speaker 1: I one hundred percent agree with you about personal responsibility, 122 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:25,840 Speaker 1: but we definitely could do with some more police presence 123 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:28,320 Speaker 1: on the roads as well, because sometimes, you know, with 124 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 1: the personal responsibility, you are preaching to the converted and 125 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:35,359 Speaker 1: for some people that are on the roads, they shouldn't be, 126 00:06:35,400 --> 00:06:38,000 Speaker 1: but they are the only thing that's going to make 127 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: them change is seeing police. 128 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and sometimes that may be true, but you know, 129 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 3: we still need to get that community support. And I 130 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 3: guess you know, we talk about which piece of the 131 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 3: puzzle are you, and you know, it's not just about drivers, 132 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 3: it's you know, having those conversations and bringing those into 133 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 3: our everyday lives, whether that be in the work place, 134 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 3: whether that be in the home, or you know, with 135 00:07:02,400 --> 00:07:05,800 Speaker 3: your sporting groups. It's getting everyone to start having those 136 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,600 Speaker 3: conversations on the importance of road safety. And I guess 137 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:13,360 Speaker 3: taking it away from you know, percentages and numbers and 138 00:07:13,520 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 3: road tolls, but talking about the real you KNOWDT road 139 00:07:17,680 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 3: tolls are real. They're real people, They're real mums, they're 140 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 3: real dads, real real brothers, real sisters. It affects real communities. 141 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: And when I talk about numbers, those numbers are a 142 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 3: huge ripple effect, and the fatalities are just one thing. 143 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 3: It's the huge numbers of road trauma that are also affected. 144 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 2: You're right about that. 145 00:07:38,640 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 4: Preparation can be something as simple as I sometimes we go, oh, 146 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 4: a stop, a coffee stop or a rest stop, or 147 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 4: a drink stomping people not taking out and drink or 148 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 4: water with them on a trip and they're actually stopping 149 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 4: and having a coffee and just being really aware of 150 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 4: what will make you, say, for especially if you're traveling 151 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 4: at different times to what you normally would be driving. 152 00:07:57,080 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: Absolutely all right, Well, Donna, thank you so much for 153 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: joining us this morning. 154 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:02,000 Speaker 2: Appreciate your time on it. 155 00:08:02,600 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 3: You're welcome, Thank you very much, and stay safe. 156 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,640 Speaker 2: Absolutely a really good time to get donner on. 157 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:10,280 Speaker 1: Do you know what else? Is always a base Everyone 158 00:08:10,320 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: gets a license, you know that pretty much? 159 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, explained. 160 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: Don't you think that just you know, maybe you have 161 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: to go for the test a lot of times, but 162 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:22,160 Speaker 1: you'll eventually get it. Yeah, it's not perhaps it's not 163 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 1: for everyone. 164 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: The guy, the guy, I saw some people that just 165 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 2: should not be drying. Trying to think where it was, 166 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:29,720 Speaker 2: so I think it was Carbobich Rode. 167 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 4: There was a dude doing that thing where he was 168 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 4: zipping between the cars, and I went, that dude got 169 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 4: a license too, you know what I mean? 170 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 2: Wait, that's funny. Though, about four lights later I was 171 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,480 Speaker 2: sitting next to him. Please be careful on the road, absolutely, 172 00:08:41,600 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 2: and that includes city roads.