Member for Shepparton, Kim O’Keeffe, is encouraging local Shepparton District residents to have their say into the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure
Committee inquiry into the impact of road safety behaviours on vulnerable road users.
Ms O’Keeffe who is also the Deputy Chair of the Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said that the inquiry will look specifically at how road users’ behaviour changed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and how this has affected the safety of people at risk on our roads.
“Vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcycle riders, are less protected in the event of a road crash. The inquiry will consider the impact of road users’ behaviour on these groups and also on the safety of children, older people and people using mobility devices.
“Recent studies have suggested that drivers were more distracted during lockdowns and were more likely to take risks on the road as a result such as speeding,” Ms
O’Keeffe said.
“Last year alone, 241 Victorians lost their lives on our roads, and thousands more were injured.
“We also know that there were many more pedestrians and motorcyclists that died on our roads last year compared with previous years,” she added.
Public submissions into the inquiry are open until 19 May 2023. For more information on the inquiry, including how to make a submission, go to the Committee’s website
at https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/roadsafetybehaviours.
The Committee is planning on holding public hearing later this year and will report to
Parliament in March 2024 of its findings.