ABOUT 100 Australians are hospitalised every day for road crash-related injuries - that's one person every 15 minutes.
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This startling statistic made up just part of the awareness campaign of this year's National Road Safety Week.
The week kicked off on May 15 and runs until Sunday, May 22, and saw the country turn yellow.
Iconic buildings around the country, including the Mooroopna water tower in Shepparton, Victoria, and Wollongong Lighthouse, on the NSW South Coast, were lit yellow to support National Road Safety Week and to remember those who have sadly died or have been seriously injured on the roads.
The topic reached the 2022 Federal Election campaign, as data revealed approximately 1200 people are killed on Australian roads yearly, and 44,000 are seriously injured.
Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24.
In Victoria, more than 1200 pedestrians were injured in 2021. This year, 15 pedestrians have died on Victorian roads, compared to six - more than double - at the same time last year.
"Pedestrians are featuring far too highly in the road trauma across the nation," Bendigo Highway Patrol in central Victoria, Police Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks said.
"So our focus is about more protecting the pedestrians."
Senior Sergeant Brooks said pedestrians needed to remove or minimise distractions while out and about and make themselves more visible as the weather changes and it gets darker earlier. They should also be aware of their surroundings, and plan out their route in advance.
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He said drivers needed to slow down and be aware because no matter what road they're driving on, there would be vulnerable road users - be it a pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist.
"Concentrate on your driving, concentrate on what you're doing," Senior Sergeant Brooks said.
"That split second of distraction could cost a life."
National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative created by the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) group and supported by governments, road safety organisations, and businesses across Australia.
Peter Frazer coined the SARAH group name in 2012 and established the The Yellow Ribbon Road Safety Week, which is also known as National Road Safety Week in May 2013.
Mr Frazer created the SARAH group to campaign for policy and legislative change, following the tragic death of his 23 year old daughter Sarah, who died in a car crash on the Hume Freeway in 2012.
The SARAH group works closely with all levels of government and lobbies for the improvement of all road standards and safety, and the reduction of traffic injuries.
The groups motto is 'drive so others survive,' and they ask people to pledge this. To date, over 51,000 people have made the pledge.
People are encouraged to wear a yellow ribbon or sticker or place it on their car, motorbike, truck or bicycle during the week, as well as people to using the #nrsw or #drivesos hashtags on social media.
