NRMA Motoring and Service president Alan Evans and local director Graham Blight visited Narromine on Wednesday to draw attention to road issues in the region.

The visit was part of a tour of NSW west of the Great Dividing Range, from Warren to Holbrook.

Mr Evans said 30 per cent of licenced drivers are in NSW but account for 60 per cent of deaths.

“That’s primarily due to the roads,” he said.

“They are driving on the worst roads, at higher speeds and they are generally driving older vehicles in the country and they are less safe.

“Some of the roads aren’t too bad considering the amount of traffic on them.

“Some of these roads carry up to 1000 trucks a day, like the Newell, and they need upgrading.

“They need better rest areas and passing lanes, and some bad corners need to be straightened out.”

Mr Evans said the NRMA had three themes: safer roads, safer cars and safer drivers,and they promote them through lobbying government.

“We’re the advocate for 2.3 million drivers in NSW and the ACT,” he said.

“We’ve worked very hard on campaigning to get more funding for better roads and we’ve seen, as a consequence of that action, a doubling of funding in three years.

“The Federal Government collects $3 billion in fuel excise each year and this year will only spend $2 billion on roads.

“There wouldn’t be a road that couldn’t benefit from an upgrade.”

Mr Blight said his main concern at the moment is the Newell Highway.

“Parts of it are starting to break up,” he said.

“I don’t think we get our fair share of road funding and I think we need to keep the pressure on and somehow get some more funding out here.”