A Letter from the Mayor: Be a Driver for Change this May

Published on 23 May 2023

Somerton Road.jpg

As our streets get darker and wetter heading into the winter months, May is the perfect time to shine a spotlight on road safety. 

Earlier this month National Road Safety Week asked drivers to make a pledge to safe driving.

This Friday 26 May is “Fatality Free Friday” - with hopes that if we can go one day without a death on the road, we can demonstrate the impact a focus on road safety can have every day of the year. 

And, for the rest of May we’re hoping to make enough noise so that all levels of government step up to make our roads safer. 

Hume City Council works at length to secure funding from the State and Federal Government for road upgrades that will help get our residents home safely, and this month you can help us. 

The RACV My Melbourne Road Survey wants to highlight the roads that urgently need upgrades to ensure that Melbournians are getting home safely. The My Melbourne Road survey is asking for responses from all road users whether they ride a bike, drive a car or walk 

We know that the duplication of Somerton Road between Roxburgh Park Drive to Mickleham Road is an important priority for our community that will mean less time stuck on the road and more time with family. Without duplication and a rapidly growing population, there are also major safety concerns. 

Responses already put into the RACV survey tracker confirm this in real time, with both Somerton and Mickleham Road showing a number of injury reports from drivers. 

My backing for these projects has involved reaching out to local residents groups so that we can join our voices and be heard loud and clear by decision makers in State and Federal Government. 

By completing the My Melbourne Road Survey by May 31, it can help RACV find potential solutions to the safety issues Hume City residents face every day, so they too can call on decision makers to improve safety on our roads. 

In the meantime, this Fatality Free Friday and everyday, let’s stay alert, drive safely and without distraction, and allow plenty of room when driving near other cars. 

As we learned from the recent devastating bus crash involving our Eynesbury neighbours to the west, a split-second distraction can have catastrophic consequences. 

Let’s drive the change we want to see on our roads. 

Cr. Joseph Haweil is the Mayor of Hume City Council