Palaszczuk Government to hold road safety roundtable after 300 road deaths in a year

Queensland is reckoning with its highest road death toll in 10 years, as the government races to find a solution.

Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey announcing the roundtable on Monday. Source: Twitter

Queensland has recorded its deadliest year on the roads since 2012, with nearly 300 lives lost in 12 months.

Motorbike rider deaths across the state last year were up 45 per cent on the five-year average, while 12 lives were lost due to driving through floodwaters.

Queensland’s Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey said while there was a dip in fatalities in 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has seen those figures trend upwards.

“The pandemic has been a new challenge on putting stress and pressure on people in many different ways, and we've seen some of that play out on our roads.”

Mr Bailey said there had also been a spike in deaths in regional Queensland that needed to be addressed.

“There’s a huge proportion of people not wearing seatbelts in regional communities,” said Mr Bailey.

Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey spoke about the state’s horrific road toll on Monday. Source: Twitter

In a desperate bid to get on top of the growing road toll, the Queensland Government will host an urgent roundtable meeting to discuss how the problem can be corrected.

Mr Bailey added while the government can only do so much, Queensland drivers also need to do their part.

“It is a responsibility on every driver to make safe choices every time they drive,” he said.

“We got to be looking at 2023 with fresh eyes.”

The roundtable will include the Queensland Police Service, RACQ, Safer Australian Roads and Highways Group, and the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety Queensland.

Monday’s announcement came hours before manslaughter charges were laid on Joan Taufua, the mother of Broncos star Payne Haas, relating to a horror crash in Bonogin on the Gold Coast that saw three killed and landed Ms Taufua in hospital.

Originally published as Palaszczuk Government to hold road safety roundtable after 300 road deaths in a year