RAC Group CEO Terry Agnew said A Seat to Savour is a visual display of the impact road trauma can have and a reminder for people to drive safely over the holiday period.
“Each chair at the 45 metre table represents someone who won’t be coming home for Christmas lunch this year,” Mr Agnew said.
“We’ve had a tragic year on our roads. So far, 182 lives have been lost and thousands have been seriously injured. That’s a lot of Christmas tables with empty seats. These are someone’s loved ones who won’t be sharing Christmas with their family this year.
“We hope this display helps people see beyond the statistics and reminds people to think about their own family and friends and the impact road trauma has on the loved ones left behind.”
Mr Agnew said the State’s road safety record is unacceptable.
“Twenty years ago, when compared nationally, WA had one of the lowest fatality rates of any Australian State. Now it is consistently the highest,” he said.
“If WA’s fatality rate came down to the national average, more than 32 lives could be saved each year – that’s 320 Western Australians over the next decade. If we matched Victoria, which has the lowest road fatality rate, we could save 50 people every year.
“We all have a responsibility to keep ourselves and others safe on our roads – everyone deserves to come home safe for Christmas.”
RAC advises road users to take care on the roads this Christmas – stick to the speed limit, take regular breaks, wear a seatbelt, put your phone away and don’t let your friends make bad decisions. If you choose to drink, choose not to drive.
The Christmas table will be on display at Elizabeth Quay on Friday 16 December and Saturday 17 December. Visitors are encouraged to engage with the campaign through facebook.com/RACWA and Twitter @RACWA using the hashtags #aseattosavour #roadsafety.
RAC would like to acknowledge the Transport Accident Commission Victoria for the original concept and encourages anyone looking for counselling to contact Road Trauma Support WA on 1300 004 814.
