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Death crash underlines need for safety message

Tari JeffersBusselton Dunsborough Times

After a horror two weeks on the roads — including the death of an 18-year-old Augusta boy — people are being urged to adjust their driving behaviour.

The Augusta teen was found dead at the scene on October 16 after his car crashed on Commonage Road, near Wildwood Road in Yallingup.

On October 14, a woman in her 30s received serious injuries and the 38-year-old male driver and another passenger received minor injuries after their car crashed into a tree on Layman Road in Yalyalup.

The driver of a Ford Falcon was taken to hospital with serious injuries on October 21 when his car crossed to the incorrect side of the Bussell Highway carriageway in Broadwater and crashed into a stationary truck, which was parked on a gravel shoulder.

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Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner urged people to take care on the roads.

“The most common crash type on our regional roads is the single vehicle run off road crash,” he said.

“Last year, single vehicle rollovers and collisions with objects such as walls and trees claimed 16 lives in south-west WA.

“This year State and Federal governments have committed $100 million to fast-track work on the Regional Run Off Road Program, which installs critical road safety infrastructure to reduce the number of run off road crashes in regional WA.”

Road Safety Commission statistics reveal there have been 20 fatalities on South West roads up to August 28.

This is a slight drop on the 2019 year-to-date statistics, in which there were 21 fatalities up to August 28.

“I remind all road users to be courteous in sharing the road, particularly on our regional roads, which are set to get a lot busier as we head into leavers and the summer holiday season,” Mr Warner said.

“Rain, fog, bushfire smoke, unsealed roads and wildlife are some the unique risks posed to drivers on regional roads.

“Ensure you are slowing down and taking extra care — drive to the conditions the road.”

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