Rural Road Safety Month: NHVR Urges Extra Caution on Rural Roads

ROBERT HEYWARD

Drivers across Australia are being urged to exercise increased caution on rural roads as part of Rural Road Safety Month, a campaign spearheaded by the Australian Road Safety Foundation (ARSF). This initiative, running throughout September, comes as alarming new statistics highlight the heightened risk of fatal crashes outside urban areas.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator (NHVR) has joined the call, emphasizing the need for all drivers to stay vigilant and heed safety warnings, particularly in rural and regional areas where the road toll remains disproportionately high. In 2023 alone, 811 lives were lost on rural and regional roads, accounting for about two-thirds of the national road toll, despite these

As Australia recovers from its most severe avian disease outbreak in 50 years, the focus has shifted to preparing for future avian infuenza threats, particularly the virulent strains that have devastated poultry, wild birds, and mammals worldwide.

The recent H7 high pathogenicity avian infuenza (HPAI) outbreak in Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory demonstrated the effectiveness of Australia’s national response in containing and eradicating the disease in poultry. Since July 2024, no new H7 areas being far less populated than urban centres.

NHVR CEO Sal

For more information on Rural Road Safety Month and how to stay safe on rural roads, visit the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s website https://arsf. com.au/rural-roadsafety-month/

Petroccitto OAM expressed deep concern over the continued high number of fatalities on Australian roads, particularly those involving heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses.

“Losing a friend, family member, or loved one in a road accident is a tragedy, and the impact is especially devastating in rural and regional communities,” Mr.

Petroccitto said. “Our experience at the NHVR shows that rural and regional roads present unique challenges and risks, including higher speed limits, unsealed roads, and environmental hazards like animals or visual obstructions.”

Mr. Petroccitto urged all road users to take extra precautions during Rural Road Safety Month, including ensuring they are well-rested and alert before getting behind the wheel. He highlighted the dangers associated with heavy vehicles, which have larger blind spots and require longer distances to slow down.

“Of the 92 lives lost in collisions involving heavy vehicles from January to July this year, 60 were in regional, rural, or remote areas,”

Mr. Petroccitto noted. “Trucks are essential to keeping Australia moving, and it’s crucial that light vehicle drivers understand how to safely share the road with them, particularly on rural highways where they are more likely to encounter large trucks.”

He advised drivers to always maintain a safe following distance, overtake only when it

Biosecurity Week focusses on avian infuenza

HPAI outbreaks have occurred, marking the ninth successful eradication of such incidents in Australia since 1976.

Health experts from the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control emphasize the importance of a One Health approach in safeguarding Australians. This approach integrates human health with environmental and agricultural health, recognizing their interconnection. Australia remains the only continent currently free from the new H5 HPAI strain, making vigilance crucial to monitor and understand its potential spread.

Extensive preparedness and response efforts are already underway, building on longestablished surveillance and biosecurity planning measures. Key fgures in these efforts include:

• Dr. Brant Smith, ACT: As the National Animal Disease Preparedness Coordinator at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry, Dr. Smith leads efforts to strengthen Australia’s animal disease prevention and response capabilities, preparing for potential H5 HPAI detection. He collaborates across governments, communities, and industries to ensure a swift and effective response if the virus is found, minimizing impacts on wildlife, the environment, and agriculture.

• Dr. Fiona Fraser, ACT: As the Threatened Species Commissioner at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, Dr. Fraser focuses on raising awareness and reducing threats to Australia’s most imperilled species, including the risks posed by H5N1 HPAI to wild birds and mammals.

• Dr. Tiggy Grillo, Tasmania: As National

Coordinator at Wildlife Health Australia, Dr. Grillo oversees the National Avian Infuenza Wild Bird Surveillance Program, monitoring avian infuenza and investigating unexplained bird deaths across Australia.

• Dr. Guy Weerasinghe, Queensland: As Technical Manager for the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy, Dr. Weerasinghe leads surveillance for exotic diseases in northern Australia, ensuring potential threats like H5 HPAI are effectively managed.

• Marietta Matasia, Top End: As Indigenous is safe, and give heavy vehicles extra space.

“Collisions involving heavy vehicles are much more likely to result in devastating outcomes due to their size and weight,” he said. “At the NHVR, we are committed to reducing the road toll and ensuring that all motorists, including our nation’s truckies, get home safely.”

Ranger Coordinator, Marietta oversees critical biosecurity activities in Cape York Peninsula, monitoring marine abnormalities and avian infuenza signs to protect the region’s biodiversity.

• Dr. Sarah Britton, NSW: Working with the interim Australian Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Britton integrates human, environmental, and agricultural health, addressing issues like zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. For more information on Biosecurity Week, visit the offcial Biosecurity Week page.