RAC launches campaign to promote safer driving
The RAC has used the opening of the RAC Driving Centre near Perth International Airport to launch a new campaign aimed at creating a safer driving community in Western Australia.
The Safer Drivers WA campaign comes after research undertaken by the RAC showed that 83 per cent of motorists said they witnessed unsafe and dangerous driving on WA roads every day.
The survey also revealed that motorists in WA didn’t rate highly with 60 per cent saying their fellow drivers were poor or very poor behind the wheel.
RAC Head of Member Advocacy Matt Brown said the new RAC Driving Centre would play a key part in the Safer Drivers WA Campaign.
“We believe the centre represents a substantial road safety benefit to our members and the wider community because improving the standard of driving in WA will help save lives and reduce serious injuries,” Mr Brown said.
“We want to ensure that motorists in WA have all the necessary skills to minimise their risk on the road,” Mr Brown said.
“Driving isn’t just about obeying the road rules it’s about being aware of the other dangers on the road and being able to react to ensure you don’t get injured if something does happen – the skills offered on these courses are over and above what is provided for learner drivers.
“The RAC Driving Centre works with the goal of eliminating deaths and serious injuries on our roads and there are a range of courses available to help do this.
Mr Brown said there was strong information that suggested many members of the community wanted enhanced driver training to keep them safe on the roads.
“The results of our survey indicated that nearly 60 per cent of people would be interested in taking up a course to improve their driving,” Mr Brown said.
“Dedicated driving centres such as this have also been very popular in Europe and we are the first motoring club in Australia to introduce such a concept.”
The survey also revealed that 55 per cent of motorists believe Western Australian drivers are the worst in Australia with 70 per cent citing merging as the worst skill.
Enhanced driving courses can help prepare drivers for the unpredictable situations on the road and give them the skill level to safely take evasive action when needed.
Under the Towards Zero Road Safety Strategy, the RAC is taking the lead in educating and informing road users about safe road use. The purchase of the RAC Driving Centre is part of the RAC’s commitment to this education and training.
As part of the campaign the RAC also aims to educate young people through road safety programs available for schools and community groups.
“The RAC’s community education arm will deliver nearly 400 school presentations to years 10, 11 and 12 on road safety and learning to drive,” Mr Brown said.
“This, combined with our continued involvement in Keys2Drive program, will help to educate young people as to the responsibilities and dangers of driving in Western Australia.”
Mr Brown said the Safer Drivers WA Campaign added to the road safety work already undertaken by the RAC.
“The campaign adds to the valuable work we currently do with the Office of Road Safety to raise awareness of vehicle safety through the Stars on Cars Campaign and builds on our continued campaign to improve the condition of our dangerous roads especially in regional WA,” he said.
Download the release (pdf)