WHILE surveys have shown regional drivers consider themselves to be safer on roads than their metropolitan counterparts, the real statistics say otherwise.
At the launch of a new advertising campaign, focused on regional roads, SA Police's Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said they had been surveying regional residents during the campaign's development.
"We conduct rigorous attitudinal research to inform the messaging and creative execution of every road safety campaign," AC Parrott said.
"Overwhelmingly the research found that people living in regional areas believe it is metropolitan drivers who die on country roads.
"The common misconception is that drivers who know the local roads like the back of their hand are less likely to be involved in a fatal crash."
But he said the reality was that two thirds of the lives lost in regional crashes are those of people who live in regional areas.
"Nearly half of the people who have died on regional roads this year have resided 20km or less from where the collision occurred," he said.
Assistant Commissioner Parrot said it was important to "dispel that myth".
"We need regional road users to understand that they are as susceptible to the fatal five as anyone else," he said.
"Drink or drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, excessive speed, distraction, dangerous driving - including driving when fatigued - are the behaviours killing people from our regional communities and it needs to stop."
While only 30 per cent of SA's population lives in regional or rural areas, an alarming 70pc of deaths happen on regional roads.
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Road Safety Minister Vincent Tarzia said it was shocking how many South Australians had lost their lives in crashes such short distances from their homes in the regions.
"The tragic truth is that country people lose their lives on country roads," he said.
"Driving close to home does not guarantee your safety in the regions, but this crucial new road safety campaign aims to raise awareness about the Fatal Five and urgently change driver behaviour.
"Complacency has crept in for some, but we can reverse bad driving habits while saving lives and preventing serious injuries on our roads.
"We ask that every road user stop, listen and digest the confronting content of this new campaign. If just one life is saved, then it has done its job."
The campaign, filmed near Callington last month, includes six, 15-second commercials and one, 30-second commercial, and goes to air on Sunday night across regional, metropolitan and on demand TV stations.
The first campaign burst runs until the middle of November 2021, with the campaign returning to market in April 2022.
The campaign will also appear in regional newspapers, on social media and digital platforms, on road side billboards and in pubs, clubs and road houses across the state.
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