Page 1463 - Week 05 - Thursday, 7 May 2015
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National Road Safety Week
Ministerial statement
MR RATTENBURY (Molonglo—Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Minister for Justice, Minister for Sport and Recreation and Minister assisting the Chief Minister on Transport Reform) (10.05): I present the following paper:
Road Safety Week 2015—Ministerial statement, 7 May 2015.
I move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
I make this statement to inform members of this Assembly about National Road Safety Week, which commenced on Sunday, 3 May and will conclude on Mother’s Day. National Road Safety Week is an initiative of Safer Australian Roads and Highways, otherwise known as SARAH, which was established by Mr Peter Frazer after his daughter was killed in a road crash on the Hume Highway in February 2012. Peter’s daughter Sarah was travelling to Wagga to start university when her car broke down on the side of the busy highway. Local tow truck driver Geoff Clarke had stopped to help her when a southbound truck struck and killed them both.
National Road Safety Week is held in May each year to coincide with the United Nations Global Road Safety Week. The theme for this year’s UN Global Road Safety Week is vulnerable road users, with a specific focus on children. Like the UN event, this year’s Road Safety Week in Australia will focus also on vulnerable road users.
The main activity of National Road Safety Week involves tying a yellow ribbon to your car, bicycle or motorcycle as a symbol of commitment to safer driving and to reflect on the impact of road trauma. It is a campaign which last year turned our city yellow, with Telstra Tower, Questacon and Old Parliament House being lit up in yellow at night.
This is the second year the ACT has participated in National Road Safety Week. In 2014, in addition to lighting national buildings in yellow, the ACT government supported the week, with yellow ribbons being attached to police and emergency services vehicles and vehicle inspection cars.
At the launch event there was an empty shoe demonstration, with 132 pairs of shoes being placed in Civic Square to represent the people killed on ACT roads in the 10-year period 2004 to 2013.
This week the ACT government is again participating in National Road Safety Week, with seven national buildings being lit in yellow at night, yellow ribbons being displayed on police and emergency services vehicles and vehicle inspection cars, a share the road pledge event and interactive road safety displays. The government has arranged for Telstra Tower, Questacon, the Nation Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery, the Royal Australian Mint, National Archives and Old Parliament House to be lit up in yellow at night for the entire week.
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