Almost 40% of deaths and serious injuries in Australia involve a vehicle leaving the road and colliding with a roadside hazard. Of these collisions, the second most common hazards are utility poles (trees being the most common).
Unfortunately, safety considerations for the travelling public are often not front of mind for utility providers when placing these poles. In many cases, the legal system even grants them powers that allow placement without considering the road safety impacts.
When we talk about ‘shared responsibility’ under a Safe System approach, it’s often misunderstood. Some think it means individual road users need to take equal responsibility for safety. That’s not the case. Shared responsibility means that we, the system designers (including utility providers), must take responsibility for creating a safe road environment.
Let’s ensure that road safety is embedded in every decision – including decisions around utility poles.
————-
Sign up to our mailing list for more snippets and news: https://safesystemsolutions.com.au/subscribe-to-our-monthly-newsletter/