Next week Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Council staff will be wearing yellow lapel ribbons and displaying yellow ribbons on fleet vehicles to celebrate Yellow Ribbon National Road Safety Week 2017.
The event is in its fourth year and coin- cides with the United Nations Global Road Safety Week. The week focuses on improving outcomes for those who are vulnerable on roads and highways.
The Councils’ Road Safety and Injury Pre- vention Officer, Melanie Suitor, said the yellow ribbons were a sign that the Councils’ not only promoted safe driving but were also committed to protecting vulnerable road users.
Last year over 1,300 people were killed on Australian roads and more than 35,000 were injured. Locally there were 753 crashes across the Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Council areas between 2011 and 2015, resulting in 14 fatalities, 169 serious injuries, 212 moderate injuries and 177 mi- nor injuries. The major contributing factor was speeding (26%), followed by fatigue (14%), drink driving (9%) and the non-use of restraints (7%).
There will be a number of local yellow events including auditions for the annual mock crash demonstration, the official opening of safety upgrades to the Albert Street children’s crossing in Parkes and a Learner Driver Parent Workshop at Red Bend Catholic College in Forbes