22 November 2013

Circular Head Mayor Daryl Quilliam today said Council had been awarded the 2013 Community Road Safety Partnership Major Award at the inaugural Community Road Partnership Awards.

Circular Head Council Recreation and Community Officer Deb Mainwaring was also recognised with an individual award.

“This award is further welcome recognition for Council’s ‘Look Out For Your Mates’ campaign, which has assisted in a dramatic decrease in road fatalities in the Circular Head area,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“Since 2010 Council has been proud to partner with the community, the Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources and emergency services to bring about change in driver behaviour.

“I wish to congratulate Deb Mainwaring on her role in developing and delivering the program, which I’m sure has gone a long way to ensuring its success.”

The Minister for Infrastructure, David O’Byrne, today presented Mayor Daryl Quilliam with the award and $5000 prize money, which will be used to further develop community road safety initiatives in the Circular Head region.

“Following a number of community concerns about the high of road fatalities and serious injuries occurring in the Circular Head municipality, Council developed the ‘Look Out For Your Mates’ in collaboration with DIER, emergency services and a number of community organisations,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“Since the launch, this campaign has been lead by the CRSP committee and has continued as the means by which to educate the Circular Head Community about being safe on our roads.”

Mayor Quilliam said the campaign focused on key factors that contribute to the most serious crashes, which as noted in the statistics are speed, failure to wear seatbelts/helmets, drink driving and inattention.

“These areas became the focus of the campaign, which also aligns with the Tasmanian Road Safety Strategy 2007-16,” Mayor Quilliam said.

“The campaign’s message was delivered in a variety of ways and the support of the Circular Head Chronicle, DIER, emergency services and the community was the key to the program’s success.

The campaign included some of the following activities:

• Presentations to schools;
•  Road safety messaging in the Smithton CBD and on electronic signage;
• Partnerships with community organisations such as the Smithton Rotary Club with the Rotary Youth Driver Awareness (RYDA) Program;
• Support for the Keys to Ps driver sessions for learner drivers and their supervising drivers;
• A presence at community events promoting road safety;
• Distribution of breathalysers at sporting events and licensed venues;
• Bar mats reinforcing the message were also put in place at selected venues;
• A presentation was made to older drivers as part of Seniors Week;
• Representations made during a Youth Drug and Alcohol Forum in Circular Head that was attended by more than 100 school students; and
• Support for the Lions Club of Smithton (CRSP committee representatives) and the local State Emergency Service ‘Late Night Food Van’ to deter young people from driving to the closest fast food outlet in Burnie. The ‘Late Night Food Van’ operates at different times of the year between the hours of 10pm – 2am. This is operated by volunteers.

Mayor Quilliam said the campaign was so successful, a number of initiatives continued to promote the key messages.

“This includes the development of a rural road safety promotion – ‘’Look Out Think Ahead’’, which highlights the dangers of driving on rural roads and promote driving to the conditions”, Mayor Quilliam said.

“The CRSP committee is also in the process of developing a Learner Driver Mentor Program in partnership with the Circular Head Aboriginal Corporation and a Provisional Drivers Reward Program.”

Mayor Quilliam said advertising of the key messages continued on a monthly basis highlighting drink driving, speed, seatbelts/restraints, inattention and ATV’s. These messages are also replicated on the electronic signage trailer.

Other driver awareness messages are communicated on the signage trailer e.g. slow down - school terms commencing or radar speed limits.