Summer is the time of year where people, young and old, jump in their cars, utes, vans and campervans to head home or visit somewhere new.
According to the CEO of not-for-profit organisation Road Safety Education Limited Terry Birss, “getting behind the wheel of a car as a young driver or passenger is said to be among the most dangerous things a person will do in their entire life”.
In the future, we may look back and wonder why people, multiple times a day, accelerated towards each other inside solid objects, passing within inches of touching.
Lucky future generations, who may not have to risk their lives while on route to a holiday destination, may see our current customs as madness.
The summer period sees people flock to our narrow roads, many of which are dirt tracks leading to the most scenic coastal hot spots.
Vehicles are seen drifting to the right on our region’s winding passageways to serenity, despite developments in technology.
All young people should take safe driver courses while at school, rather than having to learn how to handle a car in the heat of the moment.
Congratulations to the Eurobodalla group TeenSafe which regularly runs behind-the- wheel safe driver education courses for teenagers with L and P permits.
Visit www.teensafemoruya.org for more details about this group.
We all know that the younger you learn something, the more skilled you become with age.
While we have become accustomed to judging each year by a road death toll, injuries are not always front and centre in our minds.
Yet, in 2015 there were 1033 country drivers who received minor injuries, 2738 were moderately injured and 1425 received serious injuries.
According to the state government’s Centre for Road Safety, in country NSW 116 drivers and 51 passengers were killed in the same year.
There have been several serious accidents on the Far South Coast this season, some involving tourists and visitors.
Yet, all of us have to take care at all times.
The most common crash types in country NSW are caused by vehicles taking corners, with 616 last year.
So slow down and take it easy wherever you are on the roads – rushing is just not worth it!
