Tasmania has joined the nation in marking Road Worker Day of Remembrance, a day to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives while working on Australian roads.
Minister for Transport Eric Abetz said the day is an opportunity to reflect on the dangers faced by road workers.
“It is also a time to reflect on the critical need to pay attention to safety when travelling through roadworks and to follow the rules in place so no more people lose their lives while just doing their jobs,” Abetz said.
“Thankfully Tasmania has recorded no fatalities involving vehicles travelling through roadworks in recent years, but near misses continue to be reported far too frequently.”
“There’s no excuse for putting roadworkers at risk like this.”
Abetz said workers have every right to expect they can go about their jobs in a safe environment.
“Unfortunately, monitoring of worksites around the state shows speed limits designed to keep workers and road users safe continue to be ignored,” he said.
“While the vast majority of people do the right thing, it only takes one person. One death or injury is one too many.
The state government is investing in a “nation-leading” driver education program in every Tasmanian school from year 9 to 12.
The initiative, announced during the recent state election, aims to reduce the number of Tasmanians killed or seriously injured on the state’s roads annually.
According to statistics, around 300 Tasmanians are killed or seriously injured on the state’s roads each year, with young people between the ages of 17 and 25 accounting for around 25% of these incidents.
