To inform development of the South Australian Road Safety Strategy 2020, the Road Safety Advisory Council (RSAC) conducted a series of community engagement forums across metropolitan and regional South Australia throughout September 2010. In Road Safety 2020: A Safer Tomorrow Starts Today the RSAC recognised that all South Australians share the responsibility for improving road safety, individuals, families, community, businesses and government. The public were invited to ‘join in on the conversation’. The intention of the community engagement forums was to engage a wide range of community views and visions for the creation of the Road Safety Strategy for the next decade. The forums were also used to ‘test’ the vision statement developed by the RSAC as the basis of the Strategy. A variety of communications were used to promote the forums. Initially Sir Eric Neal, Chair of RSAC, issued a media release in August 2010 announcing the series of public forums. RSAC also issued invitations to local Members of Parliament, Mayors, local SA Police (SAPOL) representatives, Community Road Safety Groups (CRSG) and other influential members of the community. Advertisements were placed in metropolitan and local newspapers to raise awareness prior to each public forum. This was followed up with local regional radio announcements. The advertising message alerted readers to the upcoming community road safety forums being held in their area and directed them where to access more information or register to attend by telephone or online. Posters promoting the forums were distributed to venues by local Councils and CRSG. Information pamphlets also provided more information about the forums, the development of the road safety strategy, and road safety in general. Promotions also appeared on RSAC members’ websites, Office for Youth and SA Strategic Plan facebook sites and http://www.mylicence.sa.gov.au. (Author/publisher)
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