By SONJA KOREMANS
DRIVERS should pay greater attention to road signs and get off their phones.
That’s the warning police have issued for Warwick drivers ahead of Fatality Free Friday, a national community awareness campaign tomorrow aimed at cutting the road toll.
Warwick police acting officer in charge Senior Sergeant Shane Reid encouraged local drivers to make the Fatality Free Friday pledge to be more safety conscious behind the wheel.
Sen Sgt Reid said Warwick motorists regularly drive straight through stop and giveway signs, putting themselves and others at serious risk of injury and death.
They are also guilty of ignoring road rules around mobile phone use, particularly on Friday and weekends when social activities beckon, he said.
“At the end of the week, people start organising their weekends and it’s then that drivers are more likely to paying less attention to road rules and text and talk on their phones while driving,“ Sen Sgt Reid said.
“Warwick also has a lot of busy intersections in the CBD, drivers become frustrated having to wait and make mistakes they normally wouldn’t, leading to accidents.“
The intersections at Dragon and Wood Streets, Percy and Palmerin streets, and Victoria and Albion Streets are the city’s most dangerous for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, he said.
Warwick road users should also exercise more caution around business hubs where there is higher than normal vehicle and pedestrian traffic, he said.
Fatality Free Friday organisers urge people to pledge to drive safely, not just tomorrow, but every day of the year.
As of Tuesday last week there had been 91 fatalities on Queensland roads this year.
To date more than 100,000 road safety pledges have been signed as part of Fatality Free Friday since the campaign’s inception in 2007.
For more on Fatality Free Friday events and information visit www.fatalityfreefriday.com.
