​​Road Safety is an important community focused initiative that aims to reduce the number and severity of crashes on Canterbury-Bankstown roads, by providing targeted information to the whole community.

As part of our commitment to road safety, Council has two full-time Road Safety Officers, funded through the Local Government Road Safety Program.

Road safety is a priority! Education programs and strategies are developed to address several road safety issues, and are listed below​.

Seatbelts save lives

Australian law requires children travelling in cars to be secured in approved restraints.

​Council conducts child restraint checks to the community throughout the year (a small fee applies).

For more information, call Council's Customer Service Centre​ on 9707 9000 and ask to speak to the Road Safety Officer, or visit the Transport for NSW​ website.

Helping learner drivers

Council conducts two free workshops per year for supervisors of learner drivers. Learner drivers (under 25 years of age) need to practice driving for 120 hours (including 20 hours at night) and they need to be supervised the whole time.

Our workshop offers practical advice including:

• Supervising learner drivers;
• Completing the learner driver log book;
• The benefits of driving practice; and 
• Planning on-road driving sessions.

For more information, or to reserve a place, call Council's Customer Service Centre on 9707 9000 and ask to speak to the Road Safety Officer. Additional information is also available on the Roads and Maritime Services website.

Safety tips for drivers around school zones

There are more than 120 schools in Canterbury-Bankstown. 

School zones operate between 8-9.30am and 2.30-4pm on school days. The speed limit is 40km/h in all school zones.

Parking around School Zones  - know the rules

• ​No Stopping
  Vehicles must not stop in a No Stopping area for any length of time, no matter how short. Dropping off or picking up passengers is not permitted in these areas. A continuous yellow edge line also indicates a No Stopping zone. The fine for this offense exceeds $325, along with the deduction of two demerit points.
• No Parking
  Vehicles may stop in a No Parking area to pick up or drop off goods or passengers provided drivers stay within three meters of their vehicle and are not parked in the No Parking zone for longer than two minutes. The fine for this offense exceeds $180, along with the deduction of two demerit points.
• Bus Zones
  Must be kept clear at all times. Vehicles that are parked and stopped in bus zones create problems for bus drivers pulling into and out of these bays. Buses forced to double park and manoeuvre through inadequate space is extremely dangerous. It is illegal to stop in a bus zone for any period of time. The fine for this offense exceeds $325, along with the deduction of two demerit points.
• Double Parking
  Vehicles may not stop next to legally parked vehicles, even for a short time. Double parking reduces the visibility for other motorists and pedestrians and it can also cause other motorists to drive on to the wrong side of the road in order to pass. It is illegal to park within three metres of double white centre lines. The fine for this offense exceeds $325, along with the deduction of two demerit points.

For more information on road safety, go to the Transport for NSW website.

​Bicycle safety

Under NSW Road Rules, bicycles are considered to be a vehicle and may be ridden on the road unless prohibited. To remain safe on your bicycle, especially when riding in traffic, follow the following rules:

• Always wear an approved bike helmet, properly fitted and fastened to your head;
• Always obey the road rules, including traffic lights, stop signs and give way signs;
• Ride in a predictable manner that does not require other road users to react suddenly to your movements;
• Give hand signals when changing lanes or turning left or right;
• Plan your route using quieter streets, bicycle paths or shared paths, wherever possible; and 
• Maintain control of your bike at all times. It's an offence to ride with both hands off the handlebars, feet off the pedals or to carry anything, which prevents you from having control.

For more information on bicycle safety, go to the Transport for NSW website.

Driver distraction

When you're driving, you can only use a mobile phone to make or receive a call if the phone is securely mounted to the vehicle, or you're using an automated audio device. It's against the law to touch the phone (except to pass it to passenger) while driving. For more information on mobile phone road rules, go to the Transport for NSW website.

Pedestrian safety

Before you cross the road:

• Always look - just because someone else decides to cross, doesn't mean it's safe;
• Unplug your earphones and put away your phone; 
• Never assume that an approaching vehicle can see you, or will stop for you – wait until all vehicles have stopped before you step off the kerb; 
• Avoid crossing between parked cars or at the front or back of buses and large vehicles; 
• At intersections, check for turning vehicles before you leave the kerb, and while you are crossing the road; 
• Wear bright, light coloured clothing at night or in reduced visibility conditions; and 
• Always use pedestrian crossings.

For more information on pedestrian safety, go to the Transport for NSW website.​

Speeding

Speeding remains the biggest killer on our roads, and in NSW, is a factor in about 40 per cent of road deaths. This means on average, around 177 people die each year in speed-related crashes in NSW.

For more information on speeding, visit the Transport for NSW website.

Driving under the influence 

Safe driving requires precise skills, clear judgement, concentration, and being able to react to what happens on the road. Alcohol, drugs and medicines can affect all of these skills.

For more information on drink and drug driving, go to the Transport for NSW​ website.

Driver fatigue

Fatigue is one of the three big  killers in NSW. Fatigue-related crashes can happen on any trip, no matter how long or short, or what time of day.

For more information on driver fatigue, go to ​the Transport for NSW website.

Community road safety presentations

Our Road Safety Officers are available to present road safety information sessions to all community groups.​

For more information, or to organise a presentation, call Council's Customer Service Centre on 9707 9000 and ask to speak to the Road Safety Officer. 

Road Safety Strategic Plan

This provides us with the direction needed to address priority road safety issues over a FIVE​-year period, demonstrating how we can work together to create a safer place for all road users.

For more information, call Council's Customer Service Centre on 9707 9000 and ask to speak to the Road Safety Officer.