Remember that old road safety campaign “drink, drive, bloody idiot”?
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Well the same can be said for speeding motorists and those that think it’s a good idea to not wear a seatbelt.
And from the anecdotal evidence put forward by police over the past couple of days is anything to go by, there’s a fair few bloody idiots that use the roads around Dubbo.
Because not only do we have the third highest rate of drink-driving offences over the past 12 months, we also feature prominently in drug-driving.
The statistics in those two categories are damning enough, then comes confirmation from our highway patrol that speeding and seatbelt offences are also trending upwards.
It’s enough to make you shake your head and wonder how this can happen.
How are the most simple of messages not getting through?
From the time you are first taken home from hospital, you are strapped into a car seat.
Gradually over time you learn to click, clack, front and back and it becomes second nature to reach over your shoulder and pull your seatbelt on.
At the same time, common sense tells you that it’s wrong to go faster than the speed limit.
These are the basic elements of road safety.
But still the message doesn’t sink in.
Every time there is a long weekend or school holidays, high-visibility operations come into force and this newspaper highlights how the highway patrol and general duties police will be out in force trying to slow down motorists and deter them from drink-driving.
But still the message doesn’t sink in.
Double demerits and fines come into effect, effectively costing people a week’s wage and almost their full licence for the “smallest” of offences.
But still the message doesn’t sink in.
Graphic television campaigns show, almost to the point of collision, things that can go wrong if you speed or are drunk or tired behind the wheel.
But still the message doesn’t sink in.
It is the responsibility of each and every one of us who gets behind the wheel to ensure the safety of not only ourselves, but our passengers, pedestrians, and other motorists.
Let’s buck the trend and let the message finally start to sink in.
