Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

September is Rural Road Safety Month, an initiative of the Australian Road Safety Foundation. It's a chance to stop and reflect on road safety and what we can do to make our rural roads safer. Seven hundred and thirty lives were lost on rural roads last year, representing two-thirds of all Australian road deaths. As someone who drives more than 100,000 kilometres a year on rural roads and who lives in a close-knit regional community, I understand the importance of rural road safety and the importance of reducing risk. I'm committed to ensuring all levels of government maintain and improve our regional road network and improve safety, including by rolling out committed coalition investments through programs like the Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, Roads to Recovery, the Black Spot Program, the Heavy Vehicle Safety and Productivity Program and the Bridges Renewal Program.

Together with government funding to improve our roads, we can all do our bit to make our roads safer. Driving to the conditions, taking rest breaks, avoiding distraction, keeping our vehicles maintained and taking note of ANCAP and used-car safety ratings are all steps Australians can take to keep themselves and their loved ones safe on our national regional road network. I urge all road users to be the change you want to see, because, after all, the keys to road safety are in all of our hands.