NT Police, Fire and Emergency Services are dedicated to Stopping Territory Aboriginal Road Sadness (STARS) and with the assistance of TIO, are launching 'Talking Posters' to tackle road safety in remote communities.
In late 2008 the Indigenous Policing Development Division (IPDD) within NT Police, developed the STARS project to highlight and address the issue of road safety throughout the indigenous population of the Northern Territory.
Between the years of 2004 and 2009, 297 people have died on Territory roads.
Indigenous people make up only 32 percent of the NT population; however with 50 percent of the road toll, they are over-represented in road fatalities.
During that time, 147 Indigenous Territorians died, compared to 150 Non Indigenous road deaths.
Of those, 93 of the Indigenous deaths were alcohol related, compared to 61 Non Indigenous deaths.
When it came to deaths caused by speed, 33 Indigenous people were killed, compared to 36 Non Indigenous.
Pedestrians killed during that time frame were 53 compared to 13.
In light of these facts and as part of the STARS project, IPDD members received funding from TIO to create posters, targeting these behaviours in remote communities.
The posters depict visual and audio road safety messages, displaying AFLNT and AFL players and have been recorded in 25 Indigenous languages.
They are intended to educate people in relation to drink driving, wearing seatbelts and generally taking care whilst near roads and will be gradually introduced to 52 communities throughout the Territory within the coming months.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Rob Kendrick said that this was a very timely project.
"It is a sad fact that Indigenous people are so grossly over-represented within the Territories road roll and it's great to see different agencies coming together to target this problem" he said.
Richard Harding, TIO Chief Executive said "The Indigenous population over represented in road deaths and trauma in the Northern Territory and most of these deaths and serious injuries are preventable. TIO in partnership with NT Police has taken a leading role in communicating road safety awareness more effectively with people in rural and remote indigenous communities through the innovative use of talking posters.
"This is the first time a road safety program has attempted to communicate to such a wide audience in their own language with 52 rural and remote communities receiving talking posters to promote safety messages around seatbelts, drink driving and pedestrian safety in 25 different indigenous languages" he said.
The first of the posters will be arriving in communities tomorrow.
Media contact:
Amy Sloan
8922 3531
