A new community road safety officer in south-east South Australia will help develop strategies to address road trauma.

The pilot project is a joint initiative of the South-East Local Government Association (SELGA) and the Motor Accident Commission.

SELGA executive officer Ann Aldersey says the officer, who will start early next year, will develop local solutions to reduce the number of serious road crashes.

She says it will encourage everyone to be responsible on the roads.

“Road safety and road accidents and road trauma affect everyone and it is everyone’s responsibility,” she said.

“So as a regional community it’s very important that we have a regional resource who can work with all the stakeholders and try and improve road safety and reduce road fatalities and injuries.”

She says the road safety officer will generate innovative ideas.

“Around education and awareness raising campaigns and targeting those behavioural contributors that contribute to road accidents such as driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, ignoring fatigue, mobile phones, even wearing seatbelts,” she said.

“So trying to look at some of the behavioural contributors to road fatalities and injuries.”