Our bodies are fragile. The strongest body cannot withstand the impact of road trauma, even at relatively low speeds. Above 30km/h the risk of death or injury rises rapidly; this risk increases by 400% at just 50km/h. Children are even more vulnerable, so they need to be supervised around roads at all times. People using motorised mobility scooters and electric wheelchairs are considered pedestrians too.
Overview
This campaign was developed to address pedestrian safety issues among older members of the community. The materials developed for this campaign support public awareness initiatives delivered by the Centre for Road Safety.
Local government programs targeting pedestrians, these campaigns are highly localised. They are generally timed around events where we expect lots of pedestrians. These include sporting events and festivals. Awareness programs for seniors are conducted in areas with many elderly residents. These programs help older people understand their greater road safety risk, and refresh their knowledge of the
road rules. They also provide advice on the use of pedestrian facilities and mobility aids.
Burwood and Pedestrians
In 2016, the NSW Government has established Towards Zero. This campaign targets pedestrian related offences in Burwood. Throughout this operation, Highway Patrol Police occupy various crossings which see a heavy flow of pedestrian traffic and monitor them while crossing the road. Burwood Highway Patrol have reported that from their two operations which have been carried out in recent weeks, there has been 13 tickets issued worth $72. These tickets were issued for not crossing at an appropriate crossing or crossing while the pedestrian light was red. There are an additional two campaigns scheduled for coming weeks. Police are also issuing education pamphlets to help the CALD communities living, working or playing in Burwood.
This campaign has come given the high number of pedestrian related fatalities. In 2015 Burwood LGA had a total of 168 pedestrian related crashed. Of these, one was fatal, 18 resulted in serious injury, 34 were deemed moderate injury and 47 were minor injuries.
Sadly, in 2016, preliminary data indicates that there have already been two fatal crashes in the Burwood LGA. One which was a pedestrian.
Behavioural issues – facts and figures
In 2009, data showed that pedestrian fatalities were increasing proportionately higher than the rest of the road toll. These statistics provide an overview of pedestrian casualties in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas of NSW:
- Pedestrians over 70 years of age account for 33 per cent of pedestrian fatalities
- During the first five months of 2009, there were 195 deaths on NSW roads – 52 (36 per cent) more than for the same period in 2008
- Pedestrian fatalities also increased during this five month period – up by 53 per cent, from 19 in 2008 to 29 in 2009
Aims
Desired outcomes of the campaign include:
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Promote safer crossing practices for older pedestrians – use marked crossings
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Reduce the number of older pedestrians involved in crashes and fatalities within the target demographic and geographic areas
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Increase awareness and encourage road users to watch out for pedestrians
What's being done?
Council have introduced several strategies to promote the message surrounding walking safely.
Council's Road Safety Officer hosts presentations throughout the LGA to a wide range of groups. Sessions are tailored to the group's needs, and are a great way of staying updated on pedestrian laws.
Council also works with the Navitas College in Burwood. Here, we to assist in teaching their transport units to non-English speaking residents.
To find out more about these programs, contact Burwood Council's Road Safety Officer on
9911 9974.