There isn’t a day go by when you don’t hear the emergency services sirens rushing off to yet another senseless road accident somewhere in our region.
Last week, a double trailer truck lost the second trailer and what appeared and smelt like chicken manure on Indian Ocean Road just north of Breakwater Drive.
Then two days later, a red 4WD vehicle rolled over on Indian Ocean Drive between Milliary Road and Wilbinga.
Nightly, ambulances, police and rescue services are being called to a variety of accidents. People continue to die or become seriously injured in ‘avoidable’ crashes.
Currently, there have been eight people killed on WA roads with hundreds seriously injured and maimed. Most accidents are due to driver error, lack of concentration or the use of mobile phones while driving.
The Road Safety Council is asking all Western Australian road users to be aware of their driving behaviour to reduce the risk of being killed or seriously injured.
The current level of death and serious injury on WA roads is viewed by the Road Safety Council as unacceptable.
For the past five years the annual road toll has been around 200 deaths per year, without any marked reduction.
Western Australia’s road safety strategy, ‘Towards Zero’, envisages a road transport system in which crashes resulting in death or serious injury are virtually eliminated and has the potential to save 11,000 people by 2020 if fully implemented.
Sadly, it doesn’t appear the current strategies are working.
Questions are being asked about the merits of the ‘Double Demerit points system’.
Traffic offence penalties in Western Australia are minimal compared to other parts of the world.
In Western Australia, you can go to court for driving under the influence, over 0.08, and not even get your licence suspended.
In other parts of the world, the same offence can lead to five years imprisonment, loss of your car and up to $10,000 fine.
Wherever the heavier penalties are imposed, the road toll has been reduced dramatically.
All road users need to slow down, concentrate on the task of getting to your destination and back home safely, and leave ten minutes earlier and then there is no reason to have to speed.
Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, drivers need to be aware, passengers need to tell the driver to slow down and pedestrians need to be alert at all time.
People using bikes and skate boards need to be very roadwise. Often these road users are on the wrong side of the road, wearing dark clothes and not very visible to motorists.
In some states, they are introducing legislation banning skateboards on roads and path-ways after dark.
WA Police have major concerns about drivers lack of alcohol awareness and fatigue when driving. Police will be increasing patrols across the north metro area and the Shire of Gingin.
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