Over the week Tasmania Police will be undertaking enforcement activities and reinforcing road safety messages.

The aim is to encourage drivers to focus on the Fatal Five contributors to serious and fatal road crashes.

We should not accept that road deaths are inevitable. Many deaths and serious injuries are avoidable.

These deaths and injuries are a tragedy not only for those involved but also for the friends and family of those people.

Police will be focusing on those contributing factors:

• failing to wear seatbelts or restraints correctly
• speed and not driving to the conditions
• inattention and distraction – eg using mobile phones while driving
• driving while tired
• driving while affected by alcohol or drugs.

Our activities include:

• Public education through social media, traditional media and local initiatives such as variable message boards with safety messages.
• Conducting static and mobile patrols targeting restraints in towns and on rural roads and highways.
• High visibility patrols targeting speeding drivers.
• High visibility patrols targeting inattention such as using mobile phones while driving.  There’ll be targeted covert and overt operations.
• On Thursday there will be a commemoration service for those who’ve lost someone in a road crash, and for the emergency responders who attend those crashes.
• Friday the focus will be on drink/drug driving.  We’ll have mobile targeted Random Breath Tests and high visibility operations.

Monday 4 May – Restraints

The penalty for failing to wear a seatbelt is $300 and 3 demerit points – but the real penalty could be a life.

Failing to wear your seatbelt, or not wearing it correctly, will make a significant difference to whether you survive a serious crash.

A seatbelt is only useful when it is worn correctly.

Lap/sash seatbelts are safer than just a lap seat belt. Lap only belts do not prevent the upper body from moving forward and striking items in the car.   We have seen fatalities where the victim has only worn a lap belt.

Make it a habit to fix your seatbelt before you start the car – and make sure your passengers, particularly children, are wearing the correct restraints.

Not wearing seatbelts was a factor in 9% of serious casualty crashes. In crashes involving young people; 13% of young people who are seriously hurt were not wearing a seatbelt.

Our enforcement activities include conducting static and mobile patrols targeting restraints in towns and on rural roads and highways.

Tuesday 5 May – Speeding

The penalty for speeding can be as much as $900, 6 demerit points and 4 months disqualification – but the real penalty could be a life.

Excessive speed is still the single largest contributor to fatal and serious injury crashes.

Excessive speed for the conditions was a factor in 25% of fatal and serious injury crashes over the past 5 years.

On rural roads, driving in excess of the 100km/h limit can increase fatal crashes by 46%.

Speeding and driving too fast for the conditions is a significant contributing factor to serious and fatal crashes.

Deaths on our roads are not inevitable – there is a cause for every crash and it is every driver’s responsibility to drive to the conditions.

Driving too fast for the conditions can make a big difference to the seriousness of a crash.

Speed is not just about driving over the sign-posted limit; it’s also about adapting your driving to a narrow winding road, or slowing down in wet weather.

Our enforcement activities include high visibility patrols and unmarked patrols targeting speeding drivers.

Wednesday 6 May – Inattention / Distraction

Inattention is listed as a factor in about 1,000 crashes in 2014.

When you’re driving, give it your full attention; a crash can be a split second away if your eyes are not on the road.

Using mobile phones is still a big temptation to many people.

In 2013-14, the number of people caught driving whilst using a mobile phone increased by 36%, or 768 offences.

The penalty for using a mobile phone that’s not hands free while you’re driving is $300 and 3 demerit points.

Our enforcement activities include high visibility patrols targeting inattention such as using mobile phones while driving. There’ll be targeted covert and overt operations.

Thursday 7 May – Tiredness / Commemoration Service

Driving while you’re tired is a leading factor in road crashes.

The Australian Transport Council identifies that a driver who has been awake for 17 hours has a driving ability similar to a driver with a blood alcohol reading of .05.

Don’t take to the road if you’re tired.  If you feel tired or sleepy when behind the wheel, then pull over and rest.  Perhaps have a coffee and something to eat as well.

We want you to arrive at your destination in one piece; and so do your family and friends.

Emergency responders and those who have lost someone close to them are coming together today at St David’s Cathedral for a commemoration service to remember those people killed on our roads.

Every fatality statistic is a tragedy.  Every tragedy leaves behind family and friends.

Police, fire and ambulance officers respond to these tragedies.  It’s a difficult part of the job and it has an impact on them too.

Friday 8 May – Drink and Drug Driving

Crash data over 5 years shows alcohol was a factor in 20% of fatal and serious injury crashes. Other types of drugs were a factor in 11% of fatal and serious injury crashes.

Driving when you’re affected by alcohol or other drugs means you’re not thinking clearly or responding quickly.

That makes you a danger to yourself and everyone else on the road.

If you’re planning to have a few drinks, then first plan how you’re going to get home. Don’t be tempted to take risks. Police are using strategies to target drink drivers.

If you’re leaving an entertainment venue and get into a car; you may find yourself pulled up by a police officer.

Our enforcement activities include mobile targeted Random Breath Tests and high visibility operations.