In preparation for the increased traffic expected on local roads for the King’s Birthday long weekend, Narromine Rescue Squad (VRA Rescue NSW) opened its local Driver Reviver operation at 6.00 pm on Friday, June 9.

Operating from the council-owned facility at the Narromine saleyards, just a stone’s throw from the Mitchell Highway located 150 metres away, the local Driver Reviver program is staffed entirely by volunteers from the 18-member Narromine Rescue Squad.

Opening at times of peak travel including long weekends, the local Driver Reviver is one of 180 sites across Australia that play an important role in addressing fatigue-related road trauma. The sites provide a safe spot for travellers to stop, rest, and enjoy free refreshments provided by the federally-funded not-for-profit program.

The Narromine saleyards site provides a canteen for dispensing the Driver Reviver refreshments, 24-hour access to toilets and showers, and ample safe off-street parking. I

t’s a far cry from the squad’s previous Driver Reviver site, a cold caravan near the Narromine Aerodrome with limited access to facilities and safe parking.

“This is something we do for the local community and passing traffic. We’ve been doing it for a long time,” said Narromine Rescue Squad’s Deputy Captain, Graham Millgate, a VRA volunteer veteran of 38 years.

“We’ve only just moved [to this facility] in the last 12 months. It’s a good site.”

The importance of Driver Reviver services in addressing travel fatigue cannot be underestimated. Long weekends generally signal a mass exodus from coastal cities and large regional centres on Fridays as people seek to beat the rush heading out of town for the break.

This means more traffic at night on dark rural, regional and remote roads and highways as people head for their favourite camping destinations or chill-out spots far from home. What this also means, however, is that travellers may not be suitably well rested before venturing out, and possibly more likely to experience fatigue while driving at night.

Captain Anthony McEachern provides Jane Reid with refreshments at the Narromine Driver Reviver on June 9. PHOTO: Sharon Bonthuys

Increased traffic at such times places volunteer rescue groups like Narromine Rescue Squad on high alert. They could be called out at any time over the long weekend for incidents occurring on local roads.

But it also provides the perfect opportunity to operate their Driver Reviver service, which provides refreshments to about 30 travellers each session.

“We get a lot of accidents and we’re on call 24/7, 365 days a year,” said Narromine Rescue Squad Captain Anthony McEachern. If called by the police, the volunteers would need to mobilise and attend the accident site, closing the Driver Reviver service if necessary, he said.

The Narromine Rescue Squad has changed its Driver Reviver operations over time, responding to changes in the way businesses in the region operate, the way people travel, and the availability of volunteers.

At one point the Narromine service would stay open for much of the night catering to long-distance travellers but no longer needs to do that, Mr Millgate said. Travellers are leaving locations like Sydney after work on a Friday and driving through the night to their destinations, many taking their breaks at 24-hour service stations and fast-food outlets on major roads, he said.

Graham Milgate, Shane Smith and Anthony McEachern from the Narromine Rescue Squad prepare for their Driver Reviver night in Narromine on June 9. PHOTO Sharon Bonthuys

The national Driver Reviver program has operated in Australia since 1989. Along the way, the organisation’s volunteers have served over 23 million cups of tea and coffee, boiled more than five million litres of water, and provided travellers with more than 27 million snacks in their bid to help travellers survive their drives.

“Powered by volunteers from a wide range of service organisations and community groups, members give up their own time to promote road safety and help reduce the road toll,” the organisation’s website states.

Driver Reviver sites can be easily found on the organisation’s website, which also contains handy travel hints, or through its comprehensive mobile app.

Travellers are encouraged to find the locations of local Driver Reviver sites and plan their travel accordingly to take advantage of the free rest and refreshment stops available.

Safe travels!

NRS member Graham Milgate prepares for a night of volunteering at the Driver Reviver site in Narromine. PHOTO Sharon Bonthuys

The Narromine Rescue Squad is one of many organisations in the central west NSW seeking assistance from volunteers to continue their community service. Mr McEachern would be keen to hear from anyone available to volunteer with the squad during the daytime.