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Local police are pleading with motorists to take care and slow down on the road as the death toll climbs even higher – and it’s more important than ever that we heed those warnings.
A shocking seven people have been killed on New England North West roads since July 7.
That’s seven lives lost, and countless others – family, friends, colleagues and relatives – whose lives will never be the same after losing a loved one.
In a perfect world, that number would be zero.
We can all play our part in helping reduce the death toll.
Highway Patrol Inspector Peter McMenamin told The Leader speeding and fatigue were the biggest killers on the roads, along with driver distraction.
“There has been so many in such a short period of time and that is a concern,” he said.
“We need to put the community on notice, everyone needs to be paying attention on the roads.”
According to new figures from the federal government, the death toll for road users aged over 65 now accounts for about 20 per cent of all fatals.
Young drivers, aged between 17-25, saw the biggest fall in the death toll rates, dropping 38 per cent between 2008 and 2015.
Inspector McMenamin has implored motorists to drive to the conditions.
If you’re tired or fatigued, pull over and have a break.
As he said, “it only takes a matter of seconds” for something to go awry while driving.
It’s also important we stick to speed limits – they’re there for a reason.
When speed limits are ignored, drivers not only put themselves at risk, but also the lives of others.
Accidents do happen, but we can still all play a role in helping drive down the death toll on our roads.
Seven fatal accidents this month alone should serve as a sobering reality check to us all.
No one wants to lose a loved one. And emergency services carry the weight of having to break that news to your loved ones.
So let’s do our bit to help see that that doesn’t happen any more than it should.
Any lift lost is one life too many. It’s up to all of us to take better care on the roads.