By Clair Morton
Published: Thursday, March 29, 2018
There’s been just two Easter long weekends since 2012 when every South Australian has made it home alive.
It’s a sobering statistic, and one RAA hopes motorists will take onboard with the four-day holiday fast approaching.
RAA road safety expert Charles Mountain said an even better outcome would be to see a repeat of last year and make it a fatality-free long weekend two years in a row.
“Statistics for the five years from 2012-16 show there is, on average, one fatality, 10 serious injuries and 55 minor injuries over the Easter long weekend on our roads,” Mr Mountain said.
“This is traditionally one of the busiest traffic periods of the year, and with the weather looking promising, there will be a lot of people taking advantage of the break and heading away.
“During this time in particular, we urge our members and the wider community to take regular breaks on long drives in order to remain alert, and at all times drive to the conditions and follow road rules so they can get home safely.”
One rule SAPOL has set their sights on ahead of this Easter is the use of seatbelts.
South Australia Police (SAPOL) have just finished Operation Belt Up, a high-visibility campaign highlighting the importance of seatbelt use as families prepare to hit the roads in droves in order to make the most of the four-day holiday.
The campaign was launched after new data showed 19 vehicle occupants killed in crashes last year were not wearing a seatbelt.
It’s also believed that two people killed on South Australian roads so far this year were not wearing a seatbelt when they died.
Now they are hoping their message to buckle up has clicked with motorists.
SAPOL Superintendent Robert Gray said vehicle occupants were 10 times more likely to be killed in a crash if they were not wearing a seatbelt.
“These are simple facts that should ensure everyone in a motor vehicle uses this vital piece of safety equipment,” he said.
“Unfortunately these deaths show us that is not the case. We know that (this) weekend… there will be an increased number of motorists heading away, and we want to make sure that doing their belt up is at the forefront of their thoughts.”