Rural Road Safety Month: Drive safe for the sake of your family, Rockhampton teen urges

Sourced from: ABC News: Rockhampton teen urges drivers to take care for the sake of their family this Rural Road Safety Month

As Australia acknowledges August as Rural Road Safety Month, Raina Collett, 19, reflects on her personal experiences of tragically losing loved ones to accidents on rural roads.

Ms Collett was only six years old when her father passed away due to a motorcycle accident, colliding with a kangaroo.

At seventeen, she experienced yet another loss as her best friend, Olivia Harwood, and her Olivia’s mother, were killed in an accident on the Warrego Highway.

“I’m 19, and there’s still times when I’m up at night because of these things,” says Ms Collett.

This has motivated her to encourage drivers to consider their families, and others affected, before they mount their vehicle.

“There’s some perception that country and remote roads have less risk, but that’s not true. They just have different types of risk,” advises Russell White, chief executive of the Australian Road Safety Foundation.

According to research, people are more likely to take risks on rural roads, believing they are less likely to be caught. However, Mr. White points out that a fine should not be their greatest worry.

Read the full article here: ABC News: Rockhampton teen urges drivers to take care for the sake of their family this Rural Road Safety Month