STAY SAFE ON THE ROADS THIS AUSTRALIA DAY LONG WEEKEND, URGES STEPH COOKE

January 25, 2018

Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke has urged people packing up the car to go on trips this weekend to slow down, stay alert and be safe on NSW roads.

Ms Cooke said there was no room for complacency when driving on all types of roads, whether local, state or interstate as traffic is expected to be busier than usual with people going away for the Australia Day weekend and families returning from summer holidays for the start of the new school term.

“Road safety is a priority for me here in the Cootamundra electorate so I ask everyone, whether you are a local or a visitor, to please exercise caution while travelling in and out of our area this coming weekend,” Ms Cooke said.

“Remember to stick to the speed limit and take it easy, don’t drive while tired, make sure you have a designated driver or organise another form of transport if you’re drinking, don’t touch your mobile phone and always wear a seatbelt.

“It was not a good year for road toll in 2017 with 392 people sadly losing their lives and hundreds more seriously injured in NSW.

“Within this tragic number, 12 fatalities were from Cootamundra electorate, with the same number of fatalities the year before.

“The people who lost their lives aren’t just numbers, they are someone’s daughter or son within our community, someone’s father or mother, best friend or neighbour.

“When loss is local it can have devastating effects on families, workplaces and our wider social groups.

“Please don’t let someone you love or care about become a statistic.

“We need to start a new conversation with each other about the way we behave on our roads and bring the road toll closer Towards Zero.”

NSW Police will be cracking down on dangerous road behaviours by issuing fines and double demerit points over the weekend from 12.01am today, Thursday, until 11.59pm on Sunday, 28 January 2018 in a state-wide high visibility enforcement operation called Operation Safe Return.

Operation Safe Return is aimed at saving lives and preventing injuries through high police visibility which is known to change driver behaviours, with funding provided by the NSW Community Road Safety Fund.

Please follow these top tips to avoid driving tired when returning home from holidays:

• Get a good night’s sleep

• Avoid driving after midnight

• Plan to take regular rest breaks

• Pull over for a break in a safe place

• Arrange to share the driving

• Take a nap - 20 minutes works best.