A new road safety campaign is targeting pedestrians distracted by their mobile phones or listening to music with headphones.

The ‘Look Out Before You Step Out’ campaign aims to educate pedestrians to take an extra moment to look before stepping out onto roads, as well as choosing safe times and places to cross.

Parkes Shire Council has installed brightly coloured footpath decals at refuges, intersections and crossings that remind pedestrians there could be oncoming traffic.

More than 50 stickers were placed in Parkes, Peak Hill and Trundle, with an additional 10 stickers to be installed in Tullamore soon.

Key Safety Tips:

• Look before you cross

• Unplug your earphones and put away your phone

• Never assume an approaching vehicle can see you, or will stop for you – wait until all vehicles have stopped before you step off the kerb

• Avoid crossing between parked cars or at the front or back of buses and large vehicles

• At intersections, check for turning vehicles

• Wear bright, light coloured clothing at night or in reduced visibility conditions
• Always use pedestrian crossings where possible.

If you’re like most people, you probably don’t give much thought to how you brush your teeth, beyond squirting on some tooth- paste and scrubbing back and forth. But how you brush your teeth matters a great deal; frequency, duration, technique, and the toothbrush all influence the effective- ness of your brushing.

To gain the maximum benefits, you should brush for at least two minutes morning and night, using a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head and a flexible neck. These brushes remove the plaque and debris without damaging your teeth and gums.

It’s all in the technique.

You should clean your teeth systematically, starting at the back of your mouth with the toothbrush bristle at the gum line on a 45° angle, brushing gently in a circular motion. If you scrub too hard from side to side, you can run the risk of causing your gums to re- cede, as well as damaging the tooth enam- el. You should take care to brush carefully along the inner, outer and chewing surfac- es, making sure you angle the toothbrush so you can reach the inner front areas of the teeth, which are often missed.

And yes, while it may seem strange at first to brush your tongue, it reduces the bacteria in your mouth and helps your breath stay fresh. All you need to do is push the bristles on the tongue and scrape gently forward.

When you have finished brushing, try to spit out the toothpaste but don’t rinse with water. Leaving some toothpaste on your teeth gives your teeth some ongoing protection.

If limited dexterity is an issue, you might consider using a powered toothbrush. They can be programmed to run for two minutes, making it easier to brush for the right length of time.

Tempting as it is to think that pressing harder on your teeth equals a better clean, the fact is that too much pressure damages your gums and tooth enamel. If the bristles are wearing out on your toothbrushes be- fore the three-month mark, you’re pressing too hard and you should ask your dentist to show you a less damaging technique. Replace your brush when the bristles start to spread, or every three months, whichever comes first.

If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to call us at Richardson Dental Surgery on 6862 1261.

Parkes has been picked for the annual general meeting of the regional arts development organisation of Central NSW, Arts OutWest, this year.

Arts OutWest have teamed up with Parkes Shire Council to showcase creatives from the region some of the arts and cultural success stories, plans and infrastructure of our town.

The meeting will be held on Sunday, 28th May and start at 11.30am with a tour of the Parkes Library, hearing about the planned expansion and a viewing of the current exhibition. This will be followed by a tour of the Little Theatre and a short performance by Parkes M&D Society from their latest production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, which opens tomorrow night.

The program for the day includes a free lunch in the Hart Bar at the Railway Hotel.

After lunch and the formal meeting, which will include a pictorial of Arts OutWest’s activities throughout 2016, there will be a tour of local street art and a visit to local museums.

“Everyone is welcome to come along, we’d love to see familiar faces and like- wise meet people who just want to know more about what their regional arts organisation does,” Arts OutWest executive di- rector, Tracey Callinan said.

“The formal meeting aspect of our AGMs are always short. We really use our AGM as a chance to showcase the arts and cultural scene in a particular local gov- ernment area. This year it’s Parkes’ turn” Tracey said.

“We’re even running a bus to Parkes for those who can’t make the drive out there – leaving from Bathurst and stopping in Orange on the way.”

To RSVP (for catering), or to book a seat on the bus, call Arts OutWest on 6338 4657 or email artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

The mission of Arts OutWest is to pro- mote, facilitate, educate and advocate for arts and cultural development for communities of the NSW Central West.