A collision course with toll of horror – 28 June, 2006
Tasmania is headed for one of its highest annual road tolls in 10 years unless drivers slow down, sober up and pay attention. Twenty-nine people have died in crashes on the state’s roads this year — four more than at the same time last year. Only twice in the past 10 years has the road toll to June 26 been higher than it was on Monday. Road safety experts blame factors including excess speed, not driving to conditions, inattention and alcohol for this year’s 21 fatal crashes.

They have killed 26 Tasmanians, a former Tasmanian, who was home for her grandfather’s funeral, an interstate visitor and an overseas tourist. Also, 134 people had been seriously injured in smashes by April 30.

Police accident investigator Rod Carrick says the road crashes have had a devastating impact on hundreds of people around the state. Yesterday he urged drivers to keep the welfare of their family and friends in mind whenever they used the roads.

“It’s quite obvious that a number of people are not getting the message about speed and other factors that cause crashes. That’s very obvious by the number of fatal crashes we are having,” Sergeant Carrick said. “I’d certainly urge those who perhaps would not consider themselves when driving to consider their family and what might occur to their family if they were involved in a serious or fatal accident.”

Sgt Carrick’s investigations often require regular contact with families shattered by the aftermath of a fatal or serious road crash. “It’s very, very traumatic for the surviving members of the family to come to grips with the passing of a relative, the circumstances of the crash and other people being involved in it,” he said.

“Even the witnesses of an accident can be very traumatised.” This year’s fatalities include 13 passengers. In seven cases where a passenger was killed, the driver or drivers involved in the crash survived.

“It’s extremely traumatic for the driver and the families of the driver,” Sgt Carrick said. Infrastructure Department land transport safety chief David Spence said some of this year’s fatalities had had a huge impact on communities. He said people not driving to the conditions was one of the most alarming trends in 2006.

“We are extremely concerned people generally are not adjusting their driving to conditions, and in particular not adjusting to an appropriate speed for the conditions,” he said. “In terms of crash causes, exceeding the speed limit and excessive speed for the circumstances are increasing and this is a worry for us.

“There are a lot of people who continue to blame the road or the car for crashes but there is always, in our view, a much higher driving behaviour element we’re working hard to address.” Sgt Carrick said driving safely involved paying attention to the road, other drivers and weather conditions.

“People have got to drive to the prevailing conditions and ensure that their speed and attention is appropriate for the circumstances,” he said. More women than men have been killed this year. Sixteen women or teenage girls have died, including four in a Midland Highway crash near Bagdad last month and five at Burnie in February.

Saturday has emerged as the most dangerous day. Six of this year’s fatal crashes have happened on Saturday, with four each on Friday and Sunday. Nine of the fatal ones were single-vehicle crashes, 11 involved two or more vehicles and one involved a bicycle and a four-wheel drive. In this year’s death toll 15 were drivers, 13 were passengers and one was a cyclist.