Young Australians and New Zealanders living in regional and rural communities are significantly more exposed to the dangers of road trauma than their urban counterparts. While country roads carry only a fraction of the nations’ traffic, they account for a disproportionate number of serious crashes and fatalities.
September was Rural Road Safety Month, a chance for us to not only focus on the additional risks associated with country driving but also what we can do to reduce those risks.
Despite making up around one-third of Australia’s population, regional and rural areas account for well over half of the nation’s road fatalities. For young people growing up outside of major cities, this means everyday travel—to school, work, or social events—carries a much heavier burden of risk.
For instance, in Australia, the rate of approx. 11.21 deaths per 100,000 people in rural/regional areas is much higher than metropolitan areas (2.25 deaths per 100,000 people). Even though the majority of hospitalised injuries from crashes occur in major cities (because most people live in those areas), risk per capita increases significantly with remoteness.
The story is similar in New Zealand, with rural road users nearly twice as exposed to road fatalities and 1.6 × more likely to have traffic-injury hospitalisations than their metropolitan counterparts.
Why do rural road users face more risks?
“Factors such as higher travel distances, limited access to public transport, poorer road conditions, and longer emergency response times all contribute to this heightened risk,” says John Elliott, Head of Program Delivery and Group Data at Road Safety Education Limited (Ltd). “Young people, particularly drivers aged 17–25, are especially vulnerable. Inexperience behind the wheel, combined with faster rural speed limits and common risk-taking behaviours such as driving tired or without seatbelts, overtaking on single lane roads, further increase the likelihood of serious injury or death.”
The challenges of rural road use extend beyond deaths and injuries. “In NSW, while young P-plate drivers make up only around 6% of drivers, they make up over 35% of drivers who have lost their licence through demerit points and police actions. And in rural communities this has a huge impact on people’s access to employment, education, healthcare, sporting and so many other opportunities central to people’s wellbeing,” adds John Elliott.
How Education can help
Addressing this issue requires more than just safer vehicles and stronger enforcement. Investment in regional road infrastructure, accessible driver education, and community-led road safety initiatives are all critical steps to ensure young people in rural and regional Australia can travel safely, without their postcode determining their level of risk.
“RSE, with our government, corporate and community partners, we have addressed this challenge by ensuring the southern hemisphere’s largest, longest running, and only nation-wide best-practice road safety education program is available where it is needed most, in those communities most impacted by road trauma.”
In the last year, students from over 780 schools participated in Ryda, from communities as remote as Weipa in far north Queensland, Coonabarabran in the northwest of NSW, Mallacoota on the far east of Victoria’s Gippsland Coast, St Helens on the east cost of Tasmania, Kadina on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, Wairoa on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island have been able to participate in Ryda workshops.
Ryda equips students with the knowledge, skills and strategies to make better decisions on the road, from every seat in the car. While Ryda content follows a single best-practice program, it is flexible enough to target the unique needs of road users from the smallest remote communities to the largest metropolises. Ryda students learn strategies to identify and plan against fatigued driving, to see the road from the perspectives of others – from vulnerable road users to heavy vehicle operators, to understand the relationship between their mindstate and on-road decision-making, and practice how to speak up if they feel unsafe as a passenger.
John Elliott concludes that “Australia and New Zealand are vast, sparsely populated countries. We simply don’t have the infrastructure resources to invest in fixing every rural road to make them safer, and it isn’t practical to have police enforcing road rules around every corner, so the preventative benefits of best practice road safety education that help create positive normative cultures in all our communities is one of the best investments we can make in keeping all road users safe.”
Feedback from our rural students includes:
“That you have a choice, you don’t have to get in that car with that driver or you can ask to get out if need be. You have a voice” student from Bega High School, NSW
“I liked the activity when seeing how much different emotions and conversations can effect someone’s driving. And how to overcome those challenges.” student from Western Cape College in Weipa, QLD
“It showed how much space you need to stop a car and it was interesting learning about the safety features that cars have to protect the drive” student from Coonabarabran High School, NSW
“Interactive but also it was informative. Being on my restricted it was helpful to know more about the statistics and the consequences that come from disobeying the res rules. Also Constable Phil is a legend” student from Mt Aspiring College, South Island, NZ
“Do not let distractions and the pear pressure of others effect you when you’re driving. As well as when you are a passenger, make sure to speak up if your mate is being a dangerous driver” student from Kadina Memorial School on Yorke Peninsula, SA
[I learnt to] “be aware of your surroundings and make sure that when your driving always try to look out for things that you normally wouldn’t notice on the roads” student from Leighland Christian School, Devonport, Tas
“Mind Matters explained how much your feelings can affect your driving and I could also relate to the sesison so I really enjoyed learning about it ” student from Wairoa College, North Island, NZ
“I will check the car ratings and make sure I’m leaving enough stopping distance while driving as well as making sure I’m in the right mindset to drive” student from Portland Secondary College, Vic
Students from Western Cape College, Weipa with Ryda facilitators
