Road Safety Week in Queensland was held over 26th to 30th August and in order to both support and promote this initiative, Buslink invited key stakeholders and staff to functions in each of our 5 depots in Queensland.
For the first time this year we wrapped a bus in the Road Safety Week theme and ensured it traveled on as many of our runs as possible. The feedback we have received over this initiative was extremely positive and certainly something we would wish to continue in future years.
Participants at our events heard that 135 people have been needlessly killed on Queensland roads from the start of the year to August 25th. Approximately 10 times this number have received injuries requiring hospitalisation.
Buslink staff also heard that compared with lighter vehicle crashes, the ratio of fatalities to hospitalisations is much higher for heavy vehicles, as crashes involving heavy vehicles are statistically more severe than those of lighter vehicles. So, while road fatalities involving heavy vehicles are on the decline in Australia, it still remains more important than ever to make road safety a priority for heavy vehicle operators and those who share the road with them.
Stakeholders who supported our events included the Member for Ninderry, Dan Purdie, the Queensland Police Service, Queensland Transport, the Department of Transport and Main Roads, the RACQ, the University of the Sunshine Coast, Noosa Council, the TWU, and representatives from various schools which Buslink service.
We sincerely thank everyone who participated, and while Road Safety should be practiced every single day, we look forward to hosting future events.