2008 Easter road toll
25 Mar, 2008
24 Comments 
This year’s Easter road toll has hit 21 and going by the latest police reports, it might go even higher.
So far Queensland has had the worst record with seven deaths, Western Australia has hit five, Victoria is currently sitting at four, Tasmania is three and the Northern Territory and South Australia have each recorded one. Amazingly, there has been no deaths on New South Wales or ACT roads.
Despite the massive increase (and intensely advertised) number of speed cameras and police on QLD roads, the sunshine state has once again, recorded the worst toll for the nation.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has blamed speeding motorists, saying her government will review its road safety campaign with the potential for tougher penalties. QLD police have also expressed that they are at “wits end” with motorists’ behaviour.
“As a result of the continued speeding on our roads, and as a result of the continued drink driving on our roads, I’ll be talking with the Queensland Police Service and the minister for transport (John Mickel) about what else we can look at.” Premier Bligh said.
Unfortunately for Premier Bligh, she has missed the point. Last year QLD launched campaign 300, aimed at reducing the road toll below 300 for 2007. The operation involved substantially more speed cameras and RBTs.
The result? Not only did it fail, the road toll actually increased by almost 7 per cent (337 in 2006). The extra speed cameras have so far proven to be nothing more than a successful revenue-raising scheme.
What tends to concern us though, is that Premier Bligh has not even bothered to account for how the seven deaths occurred, opting to instead blame speeding without hesitation or merit.
Saturday saw a male pedestrian hit and killed by a vehicle at Craignish, north-west of Hervey Bay. That was followed by the deaths of a six-year-old girl and a one-year-old boy when the car they were in left the road, rolled and hit a tree at Murphys Creek, north of Toowoomba.
A teenager died when his motorcycle left the road and slammed into a tree. An elderly man died after a two car collision in the Brisbane suburb of Mansfield while a man in his 50s died when his motorbike collided with a cow about 10km outside Boulia, in the state’s west.
So, two motorcycle deaths, one caused by a cow, one pedestrian, two deaths in one car due to driver error and dark roads (Police did not blame speed as the primary cause), but it gets better, because according to QLD police the elderly man’s death could have been caused by a pre-existing medical condition!
What gets the blame? Speeding! Remember folks, if you can’t blame anyone else, blame speeding! At least that makes money.
When we said massive increase in speed cameras, we weren’t exaggerating, 14,731 QLD drivers were issued with speeding tickets during this holiday period, nearly twice as many as Easter in 2007. Almost 500 were caught drink driving.
What more can we say? Twice as many speeders caught, yet the road toll is higher? Perhaps, just perhaps, it’s not speeding?
Perhaps Premier Bligh should look into advanced driver training for all, compulsory re-licensing for older drivers, separate licenses for 4WD and high performance cars and focus the speed cameras on blackspots, not on straight roads.
It’s worth noting, however, that despite the minimal speeding tickets, 6780 NSW motorists were charged with other driving offence ranging from reckless driving, using a mobile phone while driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
The motorist which topped the state’s idiot list was a 23-year-old disqualified driver, who passed a speed camera at 160km/h coming off the Anzac Bridge.
Moving to Victoria, a mother and daughter were killed when their car slammed into the side of a passenger train today in yet another level crossing disaster for the state.
Police have confirmed that the vehicle was a four-wheel drive and the incident occurred at an unprotected country level crossing at Moriac, near Winchelsea (picture below).
The second worst state was Western Australia with 5 deaths. An eight-year-old and a 21-year-old died when the Holden Commodore sedan they were in turned in front of a Holden Rodeo - the Rodeo had right of way.
Despite wearing seatbelts, the 21-year-old woman and the eight-year-old boy were thrown from the Commodore and died of their injuries.
On Friday a woman was killed when her car slammed into a tree on the South-West Highway, 30km north of Walpole. Another women died in the State’s north, after she was thrown from her car as it rolled on a bend. Police believe she was not wearing a seatbelt at the time.
Going by the WA Police’s own press releases, excessive speed was not the primary factor in these deaths.
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These unfortunate souls that have perished on Australian roads this Easter period, have perished in vain. The State governments continue to deny the need for better driver training, while insisting, without merit, that excessive speed is the primary and root cause of the majority of accidents.
All we can ask is that you consider the facts and figures before blindly swallowing the Speed Kills propaganda. Sticking to 60km/h in a 60 zone does not guarantee your safety. If you want to improve your driving ability and lower your chances of being in a car accident, book yourself into an advanced driving course, it may just save your life.
Alborz Fallah
Location: Home / Northern Territory, South Australia, ACT, Tasmania, Western Australia, New South Wales, Statistics, Safety, Speeding, Queensland, Opinion / ...
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March 25th, 2008 at 7:04 am
I have to agree Alborz, why we are not taught to drive according to the conditions (road surface, weather, congestion, etc) or to have even the slightest clue as to car control in licensing is beyond me.
It seems that just because you can pass a license exam (which is a bloody joke), you’re considered a capable driver. Bull shit.
Most drivers I have witnessed couldn’t drive a greased stick up a dog’s ass, yet are transporting their families, loved ones and friends about the place with a blaise attitude to others road users, the road laws and in some cases the laws of physics.
It astounds me how much ‘trust’ people place in their meagre abilities and that of their car. It takes so little to come unstuck yet every day I see people come in to situations without a second thought.
No head checks when changing lanes, sitting under the posted speed limit in the right lane with no good reason, talking on phones, doing make up - need I go on?
But hey, ‘Speed Kills’ is raising money and until that mind set is broken, the road toll will remain unchanged or increase.
Wake up to yourselves if you think this is the be all and end all of the situation - you’re only fooling yourself.
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March 25th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Thanks for your advice Alborz, an advanced driving course would be good. Although not even that won’t guarantee your safety at 60 in a 60km/k zone.
“Despite the massive increase (and intensely advertised) number of speed cameras and police on QLD roads, the sunshine state has once again, recorded the worst toll for the nation”
Where I went, I didn’t see many cameras. Between Brisbane and Gatton along the Warrego Highway there should of been some cameras around there, but there weren’t any.
As it is sad to hear so many deaths, it’s no surprise as almost NO ONE DOES THE SPEED LIMIT. Do 100 along the Highway, maybe alittle over and yet there are still alot of drivers over taking you.
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March 25th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Those stats contained quite a few motorcyclists. Same here in Pohmmieland, motorcylist getting killed and injured by the dozen.
Today I was followed by a stupid pratt motorcyclist 135K’s down our motorways 25m behind me, yes I could see him as he had his headlight on full beam which was distracting my forward attention. I twisted my mirrors so I couldn’t see him so I could pay attention to whats in front of me. Most (not all) motorcylcist are a complete pain in the arse the way they selfishly behave on the road. Before I get any backlash form the pro-biker element I used to ride motorcycles a few years ago and I hold a full UK motorcycle license for any size/power bike. I never had a seriuous accident in 8years on the road.
Its interesting to see the stats, here in the UK its not made public to the same degree.
Hope you all enjoyed your Easter driving safely. See yah later going to bed after driving 640k’s today
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March 25th, 2008 at 9:10 am
It’s up to 6 now in WA.
Sad, sad stuff and our recent jaunt to Europe proved comprehensively that speed does not kill.
A Mazda 6 that can sit comfortably at 200km/h nullifies that argument.
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March 25th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Good to see the good ol’ 4WD bashing is still second only to speed bashing.
The Victorian episode where the idiot driver ran into the third carriage of the train and killed two of the 5 occupants - the fact that it was a 4WD surely is totally irrelevant. If they’d been in a Camry the result would have been the same.
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March 25th, 2008 at 9:22 am
But let’s move onto the supposed “intelligent initiatives” that most likely cause these accidents.
Being a Victorian myself I was reading up on the level crossing accident, mother and daughter killed.
I read with interest a few points:
- Skid marks left by vehicle (they tried to stop); and
- Rumple strips recently installed at the crossing.
Now I’m not certain if it was raining at the time (this was not mentioned in the news article) but let’s throw that in as a possibility as it was certainly bucketing down in Melbourne last night.
So let’s throw this out there, has anyone tried to stop their car (non-sports car!) on undulating or corrugated road surfaces? If you haven’t I’ll let you know, this MULTIPLIES your stopping distance, yet here we have a state government that’s installing corrugation at level crossings as a “safety” initiative!
In this instance I believe we have a few factors to put to blame:
- Driver not knowing how to prevent car entering a skid, or stop car after it starts skidding;
- State government installing so called “safety” devices that actually increase stopping distance; and
- Possibility (can someone confirm this) of slippery road conditions compounding the situation.
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March 25th, 2008 at 9:57 am
They always blame speed for everything because it only serves to validate (in their feeble minds) their reasoning for more speed cameras (revenue raisers).
If you ask me speed and red light cameras actually make the roads more dangerous. When you know they are around you tend to spend more time looking at your speedo than at the road which actually makes you more at risk of an accident.
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March 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am
Was the cow okay?
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March 25th, 2008 at 10:18 am
I just returned home from Easter trip last night, and when I was driving between Cooma NSW and Canberra, its mostly a single lane each way highway. It was very busy on the road with what was literally a convoy of cars. The good news, was this was all moving along nicely between 95 and 100 in a 100 zone.
What amazed me was watching MANY motorists pull out into the opposite lane and start overtaking with NO space ahead. Basically, they would force their way into a spot (create a spot). Multiply this by 3 on some occasions - I was amazed I didnt witness a crash.
It amazes me by the chances people take on the road..
From what I see on my many road trips, its not so much speed, or lack of handling ability - its the decisions people make when driving - back judgement etc which contributes largely to the road tolls.. From what I saw yesterday, double demerrit points are pointless (no pun intended) when its not speed at the core…
I am glad Easter is over, and all the maniacs are back commuting again…
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March 25th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Apparently they are adding point to point speeding cameras on the m5 & m7 in sydney
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March 25th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Deathbypizza,
It rained in Melbourne last night at 10pm approx, and that was the first rain we’d had for a month.
The level crossing location would have been bone dry.
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March 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
im waiting for the NSW government to pat themselves on the back with “see told you speed cameras work”. But found it amazing that police booked more people for other offences than for speeding. NSW police must have learnt something.
Anyways I have no problems with red light cameras, you shouldnt be going through red lights period, if it was accidental then you should of been paying more attention to the road.
Driving back from my hometown to Newcastle yesterday there was a horse trailer holding up a line of cars about 20-30 deep. The road is single lane to whole way. I overtook 3 cars at one point because we were doing 40 in a 9 zone but as soon as the broken lines came up everyone sped up to 80-90. Everytime. Good thing i had my XR6 Turbo so could easily out accelerate most of them. Then these 2 4wd towing trailers wouldnt even let me try to overtake them. At one point doing 110 in a 90 then slowing back down to 80 when the double lines came again.
That story is just an example to show our biggest problem when driving is not speeding but arrogance and our attitude to the way we drive. But as you know the government doesn’t make any money out of this behaivour.
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March 25th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
The WA coppers were at least realistic when they forecast that people will die on our roads over Easter.
There’s been talk for a few weeks now of reducing every speed limit in WA by 10km/h.
It’s not going to make any difference.
Red-light running has become a state sport. Combine that with our traditional inattention, chatting on mobiles, not wearing seat belts and all the rest of it and we’re looking to increase our road toll significantly yet again.
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March 25th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Another issue that doesn’t get that much coverage - poor lane discipline! Went from Brisbane to the Gold Coast via the M1, and couldn’t believe how many people sat doing 90-95 in the central lanes…and this is an 110km/h zone! The roads were reasonably busy but certainly not enough to limit speeds…in fact, if everybody had been doing the speed limit it would be far less congested! As a result driving that stretch of road has to be experienced to be believed…
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March 25th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Reckless1,
Thanks for the info. Just wasn\’t sure on weather conditions at the crash site.
Cheers,
DBP
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March 25th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I drove Sydney - Melbourne on Thursday and back Tuesday (Today). Apart from the rain and roadworks, both were relatively uneventful drives. Naturally almost the entir trip is fasterin the left lane thanks to toyotas hugging the right lanes.. but you soon turn up the stereo and just learn to expect it.
On Thursday I was breathalysed 4 times between Sydney and the NSW border, not counting the 1 other RBT I was waved past - all on the M7, M5 and Hume Highway on my way down to Melbourne.
Hit Victoria, all I saw was speed cameras and radars. I guess Victorian police are still too busy attending level crossings where Victorians seem to be DETERMINED to wipe themselves and others out unfortunately. Still beats me why people don’t look. It’s a fairly large price to pay for not taking 10-15 seconds to come to a complete stop and double check.
But bravo to NSW police for being friendly, polite and maintaining a very visible presence in NSW. I’d be happy to get stopped for a RBT’s every couple of days if it lessened the chance of some idiot coming screaming head on drunk onto my car while I go about my business innocently. Hope all the guys working on the highway had a great Easter and hopefully even had time off with their families in return for helping me get to mine safely.
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March 25th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Just got back from a holiday in Bali and the one thing you notice compared to here is just how courteous drivers are to one another. Heavy traffic and people actually let others get in the traffic flow.
Here it is just all aggression and attempting to save seconds on journeys. I do 45,000kms+ a year and see some many idiots on the road racing to achieve SFA in the end.
I just wish people would just accept being in a line of traffic, be calm and appreciate that they will get home safely instead of increasing their chance of being a statistic by stupid behavior…
Take the opportunity to listen to one of the many great free podcasts you can get these days. I think listening to some of the crap radio and quickly paced music actually increases the aggression level !
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March 25th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
Might I add, since getting a GPS about 12 months ago in my beaut little Nokia, most cars I have driven seem to have speedo errors of around 5-10km at 110, meaning the speedo shows 110km/h but the car is often only doing 100km/h. I have verified this by timing point to point using speedo checks and also using the Victoria Radar bridges to verify, always backing up the accuracy of m GP within 1km/h.
If a driver with a big (but legal) speedo error of say 10% is doing an indicated 110km/h on his/her speedo, in reality he/she is doing only 99 or 100km/h. If I then pull up at an indicated 120km/h to compensate for that speedo error so that I’m actually doing 110km/h in reality, then there’s a 10km/h difference. (I’m rounding the 10% to 10km/h here for argument’s sake!!)
When the aforementioned Driver A sits in the right lane, he thinks he’s fine doing 110km/h and nothing suggest otherwise. Small problem is that the guy behind is technically doing 110km/h correctly and is being held up by the driver not doing the official limit due to his speedo’s innaccuracy.
Very few people seem to mention this point as a possible cause of a lot of the frustration, it’s amazing how over a 15-20 distance, you can follow a car or realise that you’re possibly both on cruise control at 110km/h but one moves slightly faster or slower.
either way, people should learn their speedo’s correct speed and drive to compensate. First thing I do in any car is plug in the GPS to ensure firstly it’s not inaccurate in the government’s favour, then I work out what my true speed is to minimise my journey time and ensure I’m not the one hogging the right lane not technically doing the speed limit.
While we have drivers who struggle to see through the fabled gap beteen the top of their dash and the top rim of their steering wheel like so many drivers these days, I reckon we’re hard pushed to expect many of them to even know what speedo error is, let alone do the correct speed in the first place.
I haven’t even begun to mention if Driver A decided to do an indicated 105km/h just ot be safe…. then there’s a 15km/h difference!!
Use your eyes, read other drivers and learn to predict their behaviours form their movements and lane-drifting, know your car, check your tyre pressure and ensure you are comfortably seated at a safe distance form the wheel. Do that, and you have half a chance of staying alive on the higway and anywhere else!
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March 25th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Agree with AGM. I drive that stretch of road every day, and find the left lane the only lane that moves freely most of the time (until some *careful* driver thinks it best to enter the freeway at 60km/h to be *safe* …)
Try do 110km/h in any of the other lanes for a period longer than 1 minute and it only ends in frustration.
‘Keep Left Unless Overtaking’ signs may help (notice their complete absence on a road that so desperately needs it?), but I would make my own version saying ‘Keep ALL THE WAY Left Unless Overtaking’ - yes, that’s right, the third lane does NOT constitute KEEPING LEFT!!!
Phew… count to 10, relax, relax…
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March 25th, 2008 at 4:00 pm
… oh, and Bob - I agree with what you’re saying, don’t get me wrong. But, technically it is irrelevant whether you’re doing the speed limit in a right hand lane or not. If you are not overtaking, you have no *legal* business in the right hand lane - period.
Just thought I’d clarify. No offence meant, though…
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March 25th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
J totally agree with you, I neglected to clarify that. Yet another difference between myself and others who frequent the right lane - I take it for granted that you’re only there when overtaking, but many don’t even understand that basic point.
Most trips for me end up being in the left lane the majority of the time. That notorious big 3 lane uphill from Sydney to Goulburn just through the pine forests (where the cops camp at the crossroads at the bottom) is almost always best taken at 110km/h in the far left lane. It’s the only sane and quick way to do it! Maybe the Southern Highlands Geriatric Corolla Club likes the flora that grow in the middle lane or something… a Corolla after all is part of a flower…
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March 25th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Along the same lines of discussion here, “keep left unless overtaking” does not mean any lane you like. Regardless of your speed,if you at the front of a line of vehicles, with nothing immediately in front of you, you are impeding the flow of traffic. With my limited experience (22 yrs on cars,bikes and trucks),I have kept myself alive by reading the traffic well ahead, in short don’t let your vehicle go somewhere your brain hasn’t already been. Speed is not a killer, drivers who can’t process the necessary information, in the time required are.
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March 25th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
As annoying as the right hand lane huggers are, freeways are by far the safest roads, and don’t make up a large part of the road toll, they happen to have high traffic volumes so our greedy satate govenments target them for speed cameras.
I believe speed cameras biggest danger is they make everyone a law breaker and everyone knows it just revenue and therefore takes road saftey with the contempt that the govnment does, if you give people responsabilty then to act resposabily, you treat them with contempt, then they act that way. (I suspect the reverse is true, we treat our govenment with contempt and the act the way we expect them to)
The answer I am unsure, I have not done the driving test here so cannot comment, but better training would be great, but what we are doing now is not working, except for govenment coffers.
If they spent 50% of the massive taxes they take from motorists on road saftey I am sure it would save many lives and truma, but they choose to spend it elsewhere, so its very hard to take the road saftey message seriously.
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March 27th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Training is the key i think, i was a heavy vehicle driver for quiet a few years so i have spent hundreds of ours behind the wheel.
After doing an advanced driving course with Ian Luff at eastern creek i came to the conclusion that everybody needs to do some sort of training program similar to that. Even if you think you are a great driver you can still learn some thing from people like that.
What has amazed me for years is how we trust total strangers with our live’s basically. My truck weighed anywhere from 40 tonnes to 62 tonnes and people would cut me off pull out in front of me and trusted me to stop.
On the other extreme on a 2 lane highway we head towards each other at 100k and never bat an eye. Yet you would not trust some one to stop you falling over, not trust some stranger to look after your house ??????????
Everybody needs training everybody.
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