Honouring Our Highway Heroes: Road Worker Day of Remembrance 2024
SARAH Group
November 9th is Road Worker Day of Remembrance, established to honour the Road Workers who have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries while doing their jobs.
Statistics paint a grim picture of the relentless dangers facing our road workers.
- In 2022, Austroads reported an average of 18 fatal crashes and 245 serious injuries at work zones every year.
- 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 including:
- 53 percent of respondents, or 795 Traffic Controllers, encountered vehicles that fail to stop at traffic control sites at least once a week.
- 49 percent, or 735 Traffic Controllers, reported being nearly struck by a vehicle driven by a distracted driver.
- 44 percent, or 660 Traffic Controllers, reported near misses from speeding vehicles while at work in the last 12 months.
Matthew Bereni, Chief Executive Officer, Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA) notes: "On Road Worker Day of Remembrance, TMAA honours those who risk their lives for road safety. Our recent findings are concerning, nearly half of traffic controllers reported near-misses with distracted drivers, and 44 per cent faced incidents with speeding vehicles in the past year. These numbers underscore our commitment to enhancing safety and raising public awareness to protect road workers."
Over a ten-year period, there has been an average of 18 fatal worksite crashes and 245 serious injury crashes recorded annually.
Roads Australia has worked to raise awareness on driver behaviour and practical measures in infrastructure design to reduce risk on roads in its Roadworker Safety Guideline Report.
Ehssan Veiszadeh, CEO of Roads Australia, says “Every Australian worker deserves to come home safely at the end of the day, and to feel safe in their workplace.”
Mr Veiszadeh commended Australia’s transport and traffic industry for coming together to mark Road Worker Day of Remembrance, and working towards advancing safety standards for road workers, noting “The number of roadworkers losing their lives and being injured on our roads is unacceptable but it is just the tip of the iceberg, as many crashes and near misses in work zones are significantly underreported.”
Leader of Road Worker Day of Remembrance 2024, and Founder of National Road Safety Week Peter Frazer, OAM says: “Road workers are the unsung heroes who play a pivotal role in upholding the infrastructure that our 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 many heart-wrenching incidents, where news of another injury or loss has left us all deeply affected.”
Tania Boyte lost her partner, 44-year-old father of four, Timmy Rakei in Melbourne in 2021 when a speeding and disqualified driver struck him as he was setting up road cones.
She remembers Timmy as the ultimate family man who was everyone’s favourite person, “He was the sunshine on a dark day. The love he had for his family and friends was massive. Safety was also massive for him so to have him die this way is heartbreaking. He loved his job and worked hard.
“On November 9th, I would love for everyone to take time to reflect on how precious life can be. And for Traffic Controllers to watch each other’s back on the road. It’s a dangerous job out there and we want you all to go home to your families safely,” she adds.
Support the campaign
On November 9th, people can show support for road workers in their area by:
- Slowing down at work sites and where you see the slow/stop signs and reminding 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.
- Sharing social media assets available from https://roadsafetyweek.com.au/rwdor
Partners
Road Worker Day of Remembrance 2024 is being led by Peter Frazer OAM, the Founder of National Road Safety Week and President of the SARAH (Safer Australian Roads and Highways) Group. He is supported by organisations across Australia including Roads Australia, Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA), Roadmarking Industry Association of Australia (RIAA), the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AFPA) and many LGAs across the country.
About us:
Road Worker Day of Remembrance is on November 9th and is dedicated to the Australian Road Workers who have lost their lives or suffered serious injuries while working on our roads. We are honouring the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice or were injured in the line of duty.
Road Worker Day of Remembrance Partners include Roads Australia, Traffic Management Association of Australia (TMAA), Roadmarking Industry Association of Australia (RIAA), the Australian Flexible Pavement Association (AFPA) and many LGAs across the country. https://roadsafetyweek.com.au/rwdor
Contact details:
SARAH Group: For interviews with Peter Frazer, President SARAH Group, contact Louise Nealon. 0403 569 177; or email louise@prwithpurpose.com.au
Roads Australia: For interviews with Ehssan Veiszadeh, CEO Roads Australia, contact Avanti Oberoi – 0433 097 328; avanti.oberoi@roads.org.au
TMAA: For interviews with Matthew Bereni, CEO, TMAA, contact Matthew at 0417 553 433; matthew.bereni@tmaa.asn.au
