Less traffic - ’stay focussed’
by Bruce Pauling, Road Safety Manager 08/04/2020
With 95% less traffic on our roads, it’s easy to get complacent if you have to use ‘essential travel’. We’re used to checking carefully at intersections, for vehicles, motorcycles, cyclists & pedestrians. With the COVID19 lockdown, please continue to double check for others as you would in busy times.‘Essential travel’ to local supermarkets or pharmacies means just that. Otherwise….’stay at home’. If you have to make that trip, don’t be complacent because of less traffic…these are the times you need to concentrate & check for others as you would in busier times. If you crash, that means emergency service & health workers (Police/Fire/Ambulance, Hospital staff) as well as yourselves, are put ‘at risk’ of transmission.
Police report a spike in speeders during this time. Please don’t be tempted. Do your part and keep everyone safe on the road as you are doing at home.When you do go out for ‘essential travel’, reduce your speeds and please drive to the conditions.
With the end of daylight savings and winter coming soon, we get shorter darker days, and gloomy weather with wet & ‘soon to be’ icy roads. If you have to drive for ‘essential travel’, slow down & doublecheck for other road users, especially at intersections.
Also a good time to check your vehicle over….tyres, wiperblades, fluids, brakes & lights. Don’t forget to regularly start your vehicle up for a few minutes to make sure the battery is charged for when you travel local to use essential services such as the supermarket or pharmacy.
Rural folk have to drive longer distances for ‘essential travel’ on our narrow & winding local rural roads. Please slow down & drive to the conditions. We have seen tragic crashes during the COVID19 lockdown in remote rural areas, where some drivers are ignoring speed limits and not driving to the conditions.
If you have to drive…stay safe on our local rural roads.
Wednesday 8th of April 2020