With shorter days upon us, local Rotary clubs are once again teaming up to keep motorists safe on the road.
Mount Gambier Lakes Rotary Club, Naracoorte Rotary Club and Millicent Rotary Club are leading the charge to promote safe driving in winter performing their annual Rotary headlight checks next week.
The free check will be undertaken by licensed mechanics and will ensure headlights are straight, both working and aligned correctly.
Naracoorte Rotary Club president Lis Champion urged everyone to head to their closest testing site to get checked.
“Good visibility on the road is so important, especially on our regional roads,” she said.
“This is our way of helping all of our community members get home safely this winter.”
Peak motoring body RAA stressed the importance of good working headlights during the winter months.
RAA senior manager safety and infrastructure Charles Mountain said the end of daylights saving meant a lot more driving and commuting would now be done in the dark.
“Drivers need to ensure their headlights are in working order and book their car in for a service if they have any concerns,” he said.
“A clean windscreen both inside and out can greatly improve vision, as can new windscreen wiper blades.”
Last year South Australia Police caught 6,078 drivers in the dark without effective headlights – the highest number recorded in the past decade and a 38 per cent increase on the year prior.
Crash data also shows vulnerable road users can be at higher risk of a crash when days are shorter, with pedestrian casualty crashes jumping by 24 per cent in autumn and winter between 2018-2022.
Mr Mountain said motorists should also be extra alert for cyclists and pedestrians using the road, as they could be harder to see from a distance in the darker months.
“As always, it’s important to drive at a speed that allows you to stop if required,” he said.
“When there is lower visibility such as at night or during wet conditions, the appropriate speed may be slower than the speed limit.”
Get your headlights checked on Thursday, April 18 5.30pm to 8.30pm at:
Mount Gambier: Barry Maney Ford, Jubilee Highway
Naracoorte: Naracoorte Battery Service, at the corner of Smith and Rolland Streets
Millicent: Millicent Farm Supplies, North Terrace
