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At the Awards Dinner are Mick Bell (Road Safety Officer Narromine and Gilgandra Shire Councils), Melanie Suitor (Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer for Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils), Janet Hogge (PARSO Secretary) and Glen Sherlock (PARSO President)

Newell Highway Fatigue Program Wins Award

STOP. REVIVE. SURVIVE The Newell has been running across 11 Council areas for the past two years covering most of NSW section of the Newell Highway.  And it was recently short listed as an excellent project at the Professional Association of Road Safety Officers Summit's Community Road Safety Awards Dinner in the Blue Mountains.

The project was launched in Parkes in December 2003 and is in operation over the Christmas/New Year and Easter holidays each year.  It aims to increase the awareness of the early warning signs of driver fatigue.  The major strategies include; the distribution of fatigue information packs at various locations along the highway, message linking banners, mirror stickers at motels, an evaluation survey and competition and regular media coverage.

The awards, which are voted on by delegates at the Summit, were presented at the Community Road Safety Summit at the Hydro Majestic on 18 September 2006.

They are presented to projects that showed innovation, had grown from the lessons learnt during the project's implementation, had an opportunity for other projects to be launched as a result of the project being run and that contributed to improvements in road safety.

STOP. REVIVE. SURVIVE The Newell was one of eight projects that were short listed, half of which were country Councils.  Others included:

§ Survive the Ride - An interactive Motorcycle Safety Website - by Auburn, Blacktown, Holroyd and Parramatta City Councils

§  Can you see me? - by Blacktown City Council

§  The Gateway Project - by Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Lithgow City Councils, Bathurst Regional Council, Blayney and Oberon Shire Councils

§  Buckle Up Restraints Fitting Training - Your Children Our Future - by Parramatta City Council and

§  Select Safe Restraints - Bathurst Regional Council and Blayney and Oberon Shire Councils.

The major awards went to Auburn City Council for Slow Down Keep Your Distance which educated locals about safe following distances and Dubbo City Council for Blink Off an education program about how to use roundabouts correctly.

Parkes, Forbes and Lachlan Shire Councils' Road Safety and Injury Prevention Officer, Melanie Suitor, who was present at the awards dinner, said she was extremely pleased to make the short list.

"STOP. REVIVE. SURVIVE The Newell is one of the project's I've always wanted to run.  It is a big job to coordinate the project across the 11 participating Council areas, two RTA regions and work with all the local stakeholders.  However, the evaluation surveys from the previous two phases of the project show that the message is getting through and each year we refine the project and add new strategies.

“It was a shock when the short list was announced as I didn’t expect to be on it.  However, it was good to be recognised by your road safety peers in local government as running a project that is considered to be of a high standard.

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank PARSO for conducting the Awards, but more importantly everyone who helped out and got involved in the STOP. REVIVE. SURVIVE The Newell campaign.  Whether it was the Driver Reviver's, the Newell Highway Promotions Committee or local Service Stations - this award is for you!” Ms Suitor said.

Contact details
Melanie Suitor
02 6861 2364 (ph)
02 6863 5931 (fax)
melanie.suitor@parkes.nsw.gov.au

© 2008 Parkes Shire Council
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