Road Safety
A range of free road safety education sessions and initiatives are on offer in Wingecarribee Shire to help promote safe road use behaviours and reduce the road toll and associated road trauma.
Free initiatives during 2024 include child car seat safety checks and fittings, Learner driver Log Book Runs, Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshops, and On the Road 65 Plus workshops.
Council's Road Safety Officer assists in the localisation of state-wide road safety campaigns, works with the community and other key road safety stakeholders to develop road safety promotions and assists local police in publicising traffic enforcement.
Free Learner Driver Workshops
Council's Road Safety Officer will coordinate eight free workshops during 2024 designed to assist L plate drivers to become safer drivers including hands-on driving events with their driving supervisors.
Four Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshops and four Log Book Runs are being offered to provide L plate drivers the opportunity to gain experience on the road and learn about road rules and enforcement.
Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshops
2024 workshop dates
Four two-hour workshops are being offered during 2024 for parents or guardians who supervise Learner drivers. These workshops will be facilitated by Council’s Road Safety Officer with support from Transport for NSW.
The Helping Learner Drivers Become Safer Drivers workshops provide practical advice about the role of supervising a L plate driver and are open to parents, guardians, or other supervisors of Learner drivers as well as the Learner drivers they supervise.
These workshops will provide participants knowledge about the Learner and Provisional driver process, or Graduated Licencing System (GLS), and provide practical advice on Learner driver supervision, completing the Log Book, and current licence conditions, including updates on rules that have changed in recent years.
The workshops focus on the importance of the ‘stepped approach,’ which is to allow Learner drivers to gain their initial driving experience in lower risk conditions before gradually presenting more complex situations. They provide an open environment to discuss road rules and road safety and reinforce the importance of the role of the supervising driver.
These workshops are conducted at the Civic Centre theatrette at Moss Vale. Enjoy a free morning tea, learn what’s new, and get tips to improve your Learner driver experience.
Free Log Book Run workshops for Learner drivers
2024 workshop dates
Four Log Book Run workshops for Learner drivers and their supervisors are being facilitated in 2024 by Council’s Road Safety Officer with the support of Transport for New South Wales.
The Log Book Run workshop provides an opportunity for Learner drivers and their supervisors to cover topics included in the Learner Driver Log Book, gain driving experience and log book hours, and ask local police questions about road safety rules, enforcement, and local road conditions.
Following a short workshop and briefing at the Civic Centre theatrette at Moss Vale with Council’s Road Safety Officer and Local Highway Patrol officers, Learner drivers and their supervisors will drive a planned route throughout the Wingecarribee Shire.
The drive takes you from Moss Vale to Robertson and Fitzroy Falls before returning to Moss Vale for lunch and a debrief. Local police will offer participants an opportunity to ask questions in an informal environment.
While driving the Log Book Run you will experience a Random Breath Test (RBT) and negotiate a range of different driving conditions in Wingecarribee Shire.
All Log Book Run workshops commence at Council’s Moss Vale theatrette at 10 am and conclude around 1 pm. Learner drivers require a minimum of 20 hours driving experience before undertaking the Log Book Run.
Useful resources for Learner drivers
School Zone Road Safety
Please help ensure our children are safe in school zones by following all parking rules and minimising speed and traffic queues around schools. School zone parking rules exist to keep children, parents, carers, teachers, and other community members safe.
You can help keep children and others safe by familiarising yourself with the parking restrictions around your local school and teaching your children to be safe around traffic.
Road Trauma Support Organisations
The Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group
The SARAH Group campaigns for changes to policy and legislation to ensure that lives are not lost in preventable and clearly foreseeable situations by lobbying for a commitment to renewing poor infrastructure and asking drivers to take responsibility for their actions on our roads and highways.
The SARAH Groupwas formed after 23-year-old Sarah Frazer was driving to Wagga Wagga in 2012 to begin her University degree when her car broke down on the Hume Motorway near Berrima. Sarah pulled into the emergency breakdown lane and called for assistance. As a tow-truck driver was hooking up her car, a truck side-swiped the broken-down car and collided with the pair, killing them both instantly.
Road Trauma Support Group NSW
The Road Trauma Support Group NSW is a support and advocacy group for families who have lost a loved one in a road trauma incident.
The organisation aims to educate and inform the community about the impact on families, friends and the community caused by road trauma deaths in NSW. The organisation partners with organisations such as NSW Police and other non-government organisations to deliver educational programs into NSW primary and secondary schools.
Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation
The Little Blue Dinosaur Foundation (LBDF) raises awareness of the importance of road safety for children, particularly during school holiday periods when the risk profile is raised significantly due to increased traffic and pedestrian activity.
The foundation was set up by Michelle and David McLaughlin in 2014 after their young son was tragically killed in a pedestrian accident while on school holidays. The foundation advocates for child road safety through community education, government campaigning and by implementing effective local and national road safety initiatives.
Free Child Car Seat Fittings and Safety Checks
Keep your child safe by booking a free child restraint fitting or safety check with an authorised restraint fitter at Mittagong.
Wingecarribee Shire Council is currently offering residents free safety checks and fittings for child car seats, restraints, harnesses or baby booster seats as part of the Transport for New South Wales supported Local Government Road Safety Program.
Bookings are essential. Limited spots are available for Wingecarribee Shire residents only.
Book your Free Fitting or Safety Check
Limited spots are available. Contact Council's Road Safety Officer by email at mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or by phone on (02) 4868 0888.
Read more: Free Child Car Seat Fitting or Safety Check(PDF, 274KB)
Choosing the Right Child Restraint
Useful information can be found here about Car seats - Child car seats | Transport for NSW
Two in three car seats are not being used properly. Don't take any chances with your child restraint. Choose the right restraint to suit your child's height, weight and age. It could save your child's life. They are counting on you to keep them safe.
That sounds simple but it isn't always. You might have a small car and need to fit three restraints in the back seat or a Ute requiring a child to be placed in the front seat.
For peace of mind ensure your child restraints are fitted correctly, get them professionally checked by an authorised fitter.
Current Child Restraint Laws
The current laws regarding the use of child restraints are:
- Babies must remain in a rearward facing restraint until 6 months of age
- Children between 6 months and 4 years must remain in a baby seat
- Children aged 4 to 7 must remain in a baby seat or booster
Local Authorised Child Restraint Fitters
Existing and new child restraints can be checked or fitted for safety and correct installation by a Transport for NSW authorised restraint fitting station:
More Information:
A Guide to Buying a Safe Car
There are many factors to be considered when purchasing a vehicle including price, size and safety features.
Buying a safe car is one of the most important purchases we make and choosing the right one can be difficult.
Whether you plan to buy a new or used car, make safety a high priority and do your homework. Compare the car's safety features and star rating to other cars in the same class.
A car can be stylish as well as safe, and it doesn't have to be a luxury model. A new car is not necessarily safer than older models - many used cars rate well in terms of safety and are affordable too.
Senior Driver Workshops and Information
Council's Road Safety Officer can provide workshops to community groups to increase awareness of issues facing older drivers.
To arrange a workshop, please contact the Road Safety Officer on mail@wsc.nsw.gov.au or on 02 4868 0888.
- On the Road 65Plus: Advice and safety tips for people aged 65 or over on making safer choices when driving, walking, or using a mobility scooter or catching public transport.
- A Guide to Older Driver Licensing: Information from Transport for NSW on your license options, with detailed information on the licensing system, including what to expect when you’re tested.
Motorcycle Rider Safety and Protective Clothing
In 2022, four motorcyclists died on Wingecarribee roads. Motorcyclists are exposed to risks every time they ride. No matter who is at fault, riders are more likely to come off second best in the event of a crash.
Remember, ride to live.
More information:
Information on staying safe, managing risk, choosing the right motorcycle gear, and making good decisions to help motorcyclists ride to live.
Motorcycle Tourism
U-Turn the Wheel
Council supports and assists Moss Vale Rotary, NSW Police, State Emergency Services and other community organisations with the delivery of road safety information to year 11 students across the Wingecarribee Shire. The annual program aims to educate and increase the awareness of the dangers on and around our roads to young people.
You can find out more on the Moss Vale Rotary website by clicking the button below.
U-Turn the Wheel
Look Out Before You Step Out
Council have installed road stencils at pedestrian crossings, intersections and pedestrian refuges throughout the Shire in a bid to raise awareness and promote pedestrian safety as part of the Look Out Before You Step Out campaign.
Pedestrians are particularly vulnerable in crashes. A pedestrian hit by a car travelling at 50km/h is twice as likely to be fatally injured as one hit by a car travelling at 40km/h.
The campaign encourages pedestrians to take an extra moment to look before stepping out onto roads and choose safe times and places to cross. The campaign is being conducted by Wingecarribee's Road Safety Officer in partnership with Transport for NSW.
More information:
Follow the Road Rules
Road rules regularly change. Check your knowledge.
Mobile Phones and Distractions
Being distracted increases your chances of having a crash.
Drive to the Conditions
Floods, bushfires, and other environmental conditions require patience and a practical risk assessment before leaving home on your planned journey.
For up-to-date information on local road conditions, please visit: