IN the lead up to the Easter long weekend the City of Wanneroo, WA Police, Department of Fire and Emergency Services and St John’s Ambulance will attend a Blessing of the Roads ceremony where the Road Safety Commissioner Kim Papalia will speak about road safety.
Already there have been 43 deaths on Western Australian roads this year with three deaths, including that of a Two Rocks woman in a Yanchep accident on the Labour Day long weekend.
The woman died in a head on crash after the driver of another vehicle overtook a third vehicle on the crest of a hill on Two Rocks Rd.
Her teenage son was seriously injured in the same accident – so far this year an estimated 510 people have been seriously injured in road accidents.
City of Wanneroo Mayor Tracey Roberts said the city was committed to making road safety a reality.
“Everyone who uses our roads needs to be responsible and play their own part in improving road safety,” she said.
“We all need to take care, keep within the speed limits, wear seatbelts, never use mobile phones while driving and never drink and drive.
“Fatigue is a silent killer on Western Australian roads so drivers need to ensure they are not driving while tired and make sure to stop regularly when on long trips.”
On Saturday, March 12 Yanchep Police tweeted they had stopped a P plate driver who had been drinking.
They also recently tweeted they had stopped 1400 vehicles in the area and caught three drink drivers.
On Sunday, March 6 they tweeted they had stopped a man driving in Yanchep who had blown 0.172 – nearly four times the legal limit.
Mrs Roberts said the said the Blessing of the Roads ceremony would take place on Monday, March 21 at the city’s busiest intersection – Wanneroo Rd and Joondalup Dr.
She said individuals or groups, who work towards saving lives and reducing road trauma, would also be highlighted with the presentation of the Human Spirit Awards.
The annual event, promoted by the Western Australian Local Government Association’s RoadWise program, aims to encourage road safety awareness for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians travelling during the busy Easter period.
Students from local schools will also play a part, paying tribute to those who have lost their lives on our roads in the past year.
The City of Wanneroo’s commitment to road safety was recently recognised in three categories at the Local Government Road Safety Awards held in February – the Safe Speed category, Safe Road Use category and Safe Road and Roadsides’ Sarkis Petrossian Award.
The city’s Driver Reviver facility will be located on Indian Ocean Drive, 1km north of the City of Wanneroo boundary on Easter Monday, March 28, from 8am to 4pm.
