Senator Susan McDonald has lent her support to Rural Road Safety Month, a national awareness campaign targeting regional and rural road safety.
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As well as the Queensland Police Service's current road safety campaign Operation Spring Break, September is also Rural Road Safety Month and Senator McDonald joins Craig Lowndes and others on a short video aiming to spotlight the dangers of driving on rural roads.
"Two thirds of road fatalities in Australia occur on rural roads," Senator McDonald said.
Mr Lowndes said people who drive on regional and remote roads are at greater risk, a fact not lost on Road Traffic Command's Sgt Paul Quinlan who said the Mount Isa District has 2270km of roads in a rural area, connecting Karumba in the north to Birdsville in the south, Camooweal in the west and Julia Creek to the east.
"Less than one third of the Australian population live in a regional or remote area but nearly two-thirds of fatal traffic crashes occur on rural or remote roads," Sgt Quinlan said.
"The major contributing factors are speed, fatigue, inattention, drink driving and not wearing a seatbelt."
Roads in rural areas tend to have a higher speed limit, narrow shoulders, hazards close to the roadside and undivided lanes - increasing the chance of a head-on collision, poor road surface, gravel surface and single lane.
Sgt Quinlan said Mount Isa District motorists are reminded to drive to the condition of the road.
"Higher travel speeds result in a greater risk of serious injury or fatality should a crash occur," he said.
"The signed speed limit is the maximum speed for the road, not a target.
"Plan your trip to avoid fatigue, avoid driving when you are normally sleeping, avoid driving after a long day's work and take regular breaks on a long drive."
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