‘This is simply unacceptable’

Moreton District Police has launched Road Safety Week (August 24-28) by urging motorists to “think hard” about their driving, saying the current number of fatalities and crashes is “simply unacceptable”.

The warning comes from Moreton Police District Superintendent John Hallam following 11 fatalities on our roads in July and August – 50 per cent higher than in the previous 12 months.

Supt Hallam was supported by all the emergency services and Moreton Bay Regional Council at today’s launch, where he said this is a “whole of community problem”.

“We need to all think hard about our driving behaviour because this is simply unacceptable,” Supt Hallam says.

“Why we bring all these agencies together is to show the community road safety isn’t just a police problem, it is a whole of community problem.

“It isn’t just an ambulance problem, a fire service problem or a council problem, it’s a whole of community problem to make sure people can go where they want and come home safely.

“How often do people travel from point A to point B and then think what did I do? How did I get here? They totally tune off, they listen to the radio, listen to podcasts, they do something totally unaware of the environment around them, not aware of their speed, what other road users are doing, what pedestrians are doing.

“We’ve had a number of fatalities across the Moreton Bay area in recent months, having previously had a decline in fatal accidents and road crashes. When we analyse the factors in those accidents it comes back to the Fatal Five. Think of road safety when you go out.”

The Fatal Five are:

#1 Make sure you wear a seatbelt

#2 Don’t allow yourself to be distracted

#3 Don’t drink drive

#4 Don’t drug drive

#5 Drive to the prescribed speed limit.

Take responsibility for your driving

Mayor Peter Flannery backed the call saying: “Honestly, it’s getting to the point where there’s not much more governments can do, this responsibility is on you.

“When you get behind the wheel of a car you need to switch on and switch off all that other noise going on in your head, whether it is coronavirus, work solutions or problems, home life.

“It’s all about you. You are in a vehicle and it only takes a second to change a life, to lose a life. You need to be focused the whole time you are driving.”

What is Road Safety Week

Queensland Road Safety Week is an annual initiative of the Department of Transport and Main Roads, raising awareness of the need to be engaged in making our roads safer.

Data indicates from January 1 to August 9, 2020 there was a 22.5 per cent increase in fatalities on Queensland roads compared to the same period in 2019 and a 2.9 per cent increase on the previous five-year average.

RACQ spokesperson Paul Turner says Queensland is the only state which had not seen its road toll fall compared to the same time last year, despite less traffic due to COVID-19.

“This QRSW, the road toll statistics are particularly devastating. It’s time Queensland motorists woke up to how dangerous risky behaviour on our roads can be,” Mr Turner says.

To find out more and participate, visit https://streetsmarts.initiatives.qld.gov.au/

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