WSROC TARGETS YOUNG SPEEDING DRIVERS

The Council Road Safety Officers Program was pioneered in Western Sydney. Today it continues to forge ahead under the banner of WSROC, the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils.

WSROC councils include Blacktown, Fairfield, Hawkesbury, Holroyd, Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith. Each council is able to tailor its programme to suit the special needs of its community, which can vary quite dramatically even in neighbouring councils.

Road Safety Officers (RSOs) are responsible for managing their councils road safety strategic plan, and in many instances have also initiated such plans. Day-to-day activities include undertaking community consultations, addressing key stakeholder groups, organising educational and promotional campaigns and generating media output on local road safety issues. Left to right: Ian Taylor, Lisa Faddoul, Douglas Dayznaya and Megan Masters

The RSO Programme began as a pilot project in Fairfield in 1991, and has now extended across the state with support from the Roads and Traffic Authority. The RTA decided in 1995 to group RSOs into regions for its major campaigns targeting speeding, drink driving and pedestrian issues. The WSROC banner was a natural choice for Western Sydney RSOs.

A recent WSROC success was the first phase of a campaign aimed at young speeding drivers. Public relations students from the University of Western Sydney travelled to various LGAs to record radio interviews with local youth. Their opinions and experiences about speeding were edited into a 30-second "vox pop" and aired on ONE-FM late last year. Good media coverage was given to the campaign, and follow-up research showed that the ads hit the spot with their 'real life' format. Phase 2 of the campaign will further the relationship with ONE-FM listeners via a song lyric competition.

WSROC RSOs also made a united presentation at the inaugural Local Government Road Safety Conference held last November. An impressive display of newspaper articles from each council left no doubt that WSROC regularly hits the headlines in the local press.

Road Safety Officers meet once a month to exchange information and to work on regional projects. They are also in close consultation with the WSROC Traffic Sub-Committee, which ensures that transport planning effectively integrates education with engineering.

For more information, please contact your local Road Safety Officer:

In This Issue

• Road Safety Summit
• 1997 MAA Road Safety Grants
• Council Road Safety Projects
• Internet Pilot Launch
• Publications, Workshops & Training

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