Road safety

Safety on our roads is everyone's responsibility so lets work together towards a zero road toll.

Almost 90% of Maitland residents have at least one car, while 80% of us travel to work in Maitland by car or as a passenger. Understanding the high usage of our roads it's easy to see why road safety is important.

We are focusing on strategies to improve road safety, and develop community support and awareness. These strategies target speed on local roads, fatigue, drink and drug driving and distractions.

Towards Zero

You can find out more about how many road crashes occur in NSW at Crash statistics for NSW. Your behaviour on our roads is critical to the goal of a zero road toll. Lets all work together Towards Zero.

Information on road safety for all road user groups can be found at Transport for NSW - Centre for Road Safety.

Road rules refresher

How should you indicate at a roundabout? When can you use your high beam and fog lights? Can you do a U-turn at traffic lights? What do the yellow lines mean? When's the last time you refreshed your knowledge of road rules?

The Top 10 Misunderstood Road Rules outlines the road rules most commonly misunderstood by road users. You can also download the Road User Handbook for a road rule refresher.

Keeping kids safe

Many children are killed or injured in car crashes every year. Some of these deaths and injuries could be prevented or reduced if the right child car seat is used correctly. Make the safest choice and the right fit for your child.

Rules for kids in cars

There are national child restraint laws for children being restrained correctly in a motor vehicle. Did you know there are also rules restricting children travelling in the front seat of a vehicle? All the answers about keeping kids safe in cars can be found at Transport for NSW - Centre for Road Safety.

Be a road safety role model

How you behave every day in the road environment teaches your child. If you run across roads, take shortcuts and avoid using pedestrian crossings, don't wear your helmet when riding a bike or don't buckle up every trip, your child learns and follows your example.

Be a road safety champion and not only tell your children but show them every day the correct way to act safely on and near roads. To assist your quest in being a road safety champion information can be found at Transport for NSW - Centre for Road Safety.

Motorcycling the Hunter

The Hunter is home to some of the most popular motorcycling routes in NSW. In the five years to September 2018 there were 508 motorcycle crashes in the Hunter Council areas of Port Stephens, Maitland, Cessnock, Dungog and MidCoast.

The Councils produced Motorcycling the Hunter to support motorcycling, showcase the best routes in the Hunter and promote safety for all riders.

Active motorcycle riders have been heavily involved in creating this publication, and they told us they wanted to be able to easily access routes wherever they may be.

Since launching in October 2018, more than 5000 printed copies have been taken up by the motorcycling community. The online version now available will allow even more riders to safely enjoy motorcycling across our region.

This year we are looking to expand online information on routes into the Upper Hunter areas of Scone, Singleton and Muswellbrook as well as Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.