Senior police officer issues plea, with close to 80 per cent of road fatalities occurring in regional areas

With the Easter holidays just weeks away, police are urging Riverina motorists to drive safely to curb the alarming rate of road fatalities.

Recently appointed Traffic and Highway Patrol Command Assistant Commissioner David Driver visited the region to engage with officers attached to the Riverina Police District, Murrumbidgee Police District, and Murray River Police District and reinforce the importance of road safety.

Assistant Commissioner Driver, who has spent most of his career in regional NSW, said 70 to 76 per cent of people killed on the state’s roads were from regional areas.

“It’s important to deliver the road safety message and impress upon everyone who uses our roads — whether they are pedestrians, cyclists, drivers of heavy vehicles, or car owners — that they have a legal and moral obligation to drive safely,” Assistant Commissioner Driver said.

“Their priority should be getting to their destination without hurting themselves or anyone else.

“People have the right to expect that everyone will comply with the rules of the road and get to their destination safely.”

With the increase in traffic volumes over the next few weeks leading up to Easter and the school holidays, Assistant Commissioner Driver said that despite all the vehicle movement, around 80 per cent of people killed on our roads were killed within their local government area.

“No matter where you live or whether you’re on a short or long trip, it’s vital to follow the road rules and stay focused. Momentary distractions, like glancing at a phone, can have serious consequences,” he said.

“When travelling 100 km/h, you cover 25 to 27 metres per second. A quick glance down could be the difference between arriving safely or not arriving at all.”

He said the police’s primary goal was to promote road safety.

“Police are just one stakeholder in the broader road safety space — every road user has a responsibility,” Assistant Commissioner Driver said.

“The ultimate short-term and long-term goal is to have no fatalities or serious injuries on our roads by 2050.

“However, achieving this requires everyone’s involvement. It’s not just the police’s responsibility to bring that number to zero — everyone who uses the roads has a role to play, regardless of how they’re using them. It’s a shared responsibility for the safety of all road users.

“This visit also provides an opportunity for local officers to share their views on strategies and how we can work together to reduce the road toll.”

Assistant Commissioner Driver said while Transport for NSW managed the point-to-point speed camera programs between Gundagai and Coolac on the Hume Highway, police responded to their taskings based on leading and lagging data. Leading data predicts future trends while lagging data reflects past performance.

“We’re detecting offences where we know crashes have occurred. We will analyse that material and task our police appropriately.”

Assistant Commissioner Driver visited to speak with local officers, answer any questions they had, provide the latest updates on what was being done within the command to address road trauma, and seek feedback from the officers on how to help them do their jobs.

“We certainly need the local supervisors to ensure the police are appropriately tasked and perform their required duties. However, it also provides an opportunity to communicate on a personal level,” Assistant Commissioner Driver said.

“While emails can be sent, the chance to put a face to a name and engage one-on-one offers benefits to both the officers on the front line and myself.

“They may not feel comfortable emailing me to ask questions or provide feedback, but an informal conversation can help improve communication.”

Traffic and Highway Patrol Command’s Riverina Sector Inspector Darren Moulds also echoed the sentiment that road safety was everyone’s responsibility.

“As police, we conduct our duties, but we rely on the motoring public to assist and do the right thing,” Inspector Moulds said.

“This not only helps reduce fatalities but also injury crashes, which affect individuals, families, and the community.”

Insp Moulds said the police’s main focus was on the main arterial roads, such as highways. They also considered their intelligence and crash data, responding accordingly to ensure safety.

“We look at where crashes occur, their type, and where offences are detected. With all that data, we task our staff to address road safety issues in the best way,” he said.