Safe Speed Forums

Drivers to blame for road toll

By John Kidman and Emily Sherlock
January 8, 2006

POOR driving and not road conditions were to blame for an upturn in the Christmas-New Year road toll, the state's top traffic policeman said.

Twenty people died on the state's roads between Christmas Eve and midnight on Friday - five more than last year.

A provisional analysis of the period showed the majority of those killed were older than 30 and had more than 10 years' driving experience, NSW Traffic Services Commander John Hartley said.

Most tragedies happened on country roads and involved motorists losing control and hitting trees, rolling vehicles or crossing into oncoming traffic.

"It's not about blaming the roads, it is about drivers taking responsibility for their actions," Superintendent Hartley said.

"Preliminary inquiries reveal the majority of these fatal crashes have involved drivers either losing concentration or committing a criminal offence."

This year's toll surged to 20 with the deaths of four people in three separate overnight accidents on Thursday.

While eight women, seven men and five children were killed overall, 750 people were injured in more than 900 reported major crashes.

Police charged 21,584 motorists with speeding during the 15-day period and conducted more than a quarter of a million breath tests, resulting in 1154 drink driving charges.

A leading Sydney academic revealed yesterday she was examining a potentially innovative counter measure in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities.

Dr Jennifer Clark, from the University of New South Wales, said she was researching the presence of roadside memorials in the belief they may help heighten driver attention levels and encourage them to slow down.
Source: The Sun-Herald

Dr Jennifer Clark, from the University of New South Wales, said she was researching the presence of roadside memorials in the belief they may help heighten driver attention levels and encourage them to slow down.

[]
I wonder why didn't she just ask the french? They've got 'dead guy' signs next to their roads but it doesn't seem to stop a lot of them trying to overtake on blind crests/corners.

given the roads involved - ie in the country, several hours from Sydney - I think tiredness plays a huge role. The problem is that it's impossible to police and there's no money to be made from it.