Waratah-Wynyard Council marked Road Worker Day of Remembrance (RWDOR) on 9 November, to honour the Road Workers who have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries while doing their jobs.
In 2022, Austroads reported an average of 18 fatal crashes and 245 serious injuries at work zones every year, while a recent Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) survey of more than 1,500 Traffic Controllers shows the alarming number of incidents reported by workers during their shifts around the country: 53% of respondents (795 TCs) encountered vehicles that fail to stop at traffic control sites at least once a week; 49% (735 TCs) reported being nearly struck by a vehicle driven by a distracted driver and 44% (660 TCs) reported near misses from speeding vehicles while at work in the last 12 months.
Deputy Mayor, Celisa Edwards said, “behind every crash is a family who will miss their loved ones for the rest of their lives.”
Founder of Road Worker Day of Remembrance and National Road Safety Week, Peter Frazer, OAM described road workers as unsung heroes who play a pivotal role in upholding the infrastructure communities rely on daily.
“Just like anyone heading to work, they deserve to return home safe to their loved ones. Sadly, in recent years, we’ve been witness to too many heart-wrenching incidents, where news of another injury or loss has left us all deeply affected,” he said.
Waratah-Wynyard Council says it has seen an increase in dangerous driving through worksites that puts the lives of road workers in danger.
“Council recognises this as one of its highest safety risks and continues to explore risk mitigations measures to protect road workers whilst they are on site,” the organisation said in a statement.
On 9 November, people show support for road workers in their area by:
- Slowing down at work sites and where you see the slow/stop signs, and remind other drivers to do the same – particularly for those teaching Learner drivers.
- Popping a traffic cone on their car hood and taking a picture for social with the hashtags #RWDOR and #RWDOR24.
