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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-04-09 Daily Xml
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ROAD SAFETY

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN (15:13): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Road Safety a question about the government's tram stickers road safety campaign.

Leave granted.

The Hon. B.V. FINNIGAN: The state government is using an innovative vehicle to publicise the number of injuries and deaths caused by road crashes each year in South Australia. Apparently, the hundreds of people who die on the roads are of no interest to Her Majesty's opposition. Will the minister explain how a tram is being used to demonstrate the effect road trauma has on our society?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (15:14): Over the next three months, city workers, tourists and general visitors to the city centre and Glenelg will be witnessing tram advertising with a difference. The state government through the Motor Accident Commission is using the side of an Adelaide to Glenelg tram to drive home a serious road safety issue; that is, every year more than 9,000 people are injured on the state's roads.

I am sure that many people have noticed already the increasing number of red stickers on the tram. The tram set off with 24 red stickers on 31 March when I launched the campaign. They represent the average number of those injured on our roads each day. The stickers will progressively increase at the rate of 24 per day over the duration of the three-month campaign. In addition, black stickers will be added to represent fatalities as they occur—and we hope, of course, that we will not see too many of those.

By the end of the 12-week campaign, there will be at least 2,184 stickers across both sides of the tram. It is expected that road users who are exposed on a regular basis to the tram will take note of the number of casualties as they increase at an alarming rate and that they will gain a tangible sense of the impact of crashes—crashes that can be avoided if road users adopt a few simple rules. It goes without saying that trams are part of the character and atmosphere of Adelaide and Glenelg, and this campaign is a novel way of advertising a very serious issue.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: It is regrettable that those opposite just do not care about road trauma. The impact of road deaths and injuries is significant in South Australia. Last year, there were 125 fatalities and about 1,400 serious injuries in South Australia. Currently, the road toll is 24, compared with 32 at the same time last year. I am advised by the Commissioner of Police—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: —that serious injuries currently stand at 339, compared with 369 at the same time last year. This is 339 serious injuries too many, but it is still an encouraging reduction. Of the 9,000 people injured in road trauma each year in South Australia, 16 per cent are seriously injured enough to require hospitalisation; many take years to recover and, tragically, some live with spinal or brain injury.

The impact on the life of victims and their families and on the community should never be underestimated. The odds of being injured are much higher than people think. This campaign aims to challenge the perception, 'It will not happen to me.' I urge all South Australians to avoid having their personal grief, or the grief they inflict on someone else, reflected in a sticker. I urge everyone to travel under the speed limit, always to wear a seatbelt and not to drive if they are tired or have been drinking or taking drugs. Of course, we urge all South Australians to remain attentive.

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