As the former deputy commissioner of Tasmania Police and current head of the Road Safety Advisory Council, Scott Tilyard has seen a significant amount of road trauma during his lifetime, with personal experience of the impact to victims, families, friends and communities.
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It's something he said is immense and enduring.
" I've also seen the impact on police, emergency services, and other first responders, and to members of the public who are often first on the scene in the immediate aftermath," Mr Tilyard said.
"What most strikes me is how a moment of inattention or a bad decision to drive too fast or when impaired by alcohol or other substances or fatigue, can end or change lives forever. Not just those directly involved but many others who also become victims in their own way."
Mr Tilyard said his personal experiences were a major factor to accepting his new role.
Moving forwards, RSAC will continue their public education campaigns, with the aim of heading towards zero crashes on Tasmania's roads.
The goalpost is to see fewer than 200 serious injuries and fatalities on the road by 2026.
"This figure currently sits a little above 300 a year so we have a lot of work to do if we hope to achieve our 2026 target but I strongly believe that this Towards Zero Strategy will help to make significant progress," Mr Tilyard said.
"Achieving this vision will only happen if everyone accepts responsibility for road safety and plays their part in making our roads safer for all road users.
"Sadly, it seems that many Tasmanians have become far too accepting of serious injuries and deaths on our roads.
"Unless we can more positively influence people's attitudes towards road safety we are unlikely to experience a marked improvement in road user behaviours."
Influence will continue through recognised campaigns in the media, including the 'Real Mates' advertisements and the 'Don't Drive Blind' series which highlights the dangers of distraction and inattention in the car.
"The team are currently developing three brand-new campaigns with new messaging that will focus on pedestrian safety, motorcyclist safety and speeding," Mr Tilyard said.
"These education campaigns are designed to promote safe driving and help to make unsafe behaviours, such as speeding and drink driving, socially unacceptable in much the same way as anti-cigarette advertising has done to smoking."'
Mr Tilyard said there were still too many road users making bad choices.
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"We constantly say that road safety is everybody's responsibility, but many people don't count themselves as being part of the problem," he said.
"We know that high risk behaviours put others at risk on our roads, but most people think they are good drivers and that it is OK to go a couple of kilometres over the speed limit or to quickly check their phone while driving.
"Driving is a complex task and demands our full attention.
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"It's the seemingly little things that make a difference, especially when you have thousands of road users doing similar things, increasing our collective risk as a community."
Mr Tilyard said current public consultation on the future of the Bass Highway was important for the region.
"Everyone living in the region or regularly using the highway should visit the Transport website to provide their feedback to assist in identifying areas for improvement," he said.
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Ebony Abblitt
Ebony Abblitt is a features writer at the Examiner in Launceston, with an interest in pets, politics and people. | ebony.abblitt@examiner.com.au
Ebony Abblitt is a features writer at the Examiner in Launceston, with an interest in pets, politics and people. | ebony.abblitt@examiner.com.au
