Drive away your bad habits during Lent

Road safety professionals are appealing for people observing Lent to give up one more thing – bad driving.

Rob Forgan, Regional Road Safety Officer with the Limestone Coast Local Government Association said people tend to give up those bad habits that they enjoy, like overdoing the chocolate, chips, wine or beer or maybe coffee. The next 6 weeks may be the opportunity to start thinking about the way we drive and use Lent as a reason to kick bad habits off the road forever.

“It presents a great opportunity for road users to change their road behaviours and make these changes part of their lives. A potential life saver that could also reduce injuries on our roads.”

Some bad habits to think about giving up could be:

  • Speeding. Speed was a factor in 24% of fatal crashes in South Australia last year and it pays to always be aware of speed limits and keep to them.
  • Phoning while driving. It’s not only wrong, it is illegal to use a hand held mobile while driving, even when stopped at an intersection. So always turn it off, put it away before you set off.
  • Driving tired. If you do, you are putting yourself, your passengers and everyone else on the road at risk. Rest every 2 hours on long trips and try to avoid long trips between midnight and 6am when your natural reactions are likely to be slower. This may be a time to let go off the wheel and share the driving responsibility with another.
  • Tailgating: You should always leave a two-second gap between you and the vehicle in front.
  • Driving without your seatbelt. Time to make sure you and everyone in the car buckles up. Incredibly 37 driver and passenger fatalities in South Australia over the last 12 months were not wearing a seatbelt at the time of their crash.
  • Road rage; Be patient and calm down, think of others for a change and set a good example for your kids. Letting someone in or saying thank you is unlikely to cause you any extra hassle? Might even make you feel good.
  • Drink driving. If you do drink, have your plan B in place.

Many residents associate Easter with crosses and when we drive through the Limestone Coast we see too many crosses on the side of the road where people have lost their lives. In the lead up to Easter 2018 and the Easter holiday weekend, when many Australians have come to grief and their friends and relatives to grieve this is an opportunity to be giving up those bad habits on our roads.

Contact: Mr. Rob Forgan, Regional Community Road Safety Officer. Mobile: 0408 673 113