Editor’s view: Small price to pay for safer roads

The prospect of undergoing a test on the road rules during the licence renewal process may seem daunting but it could be a small price to pay for better drivers on our roads, writes the editor.

The state government is getting tough on the small number of ignorant and inconsiderate drivers who flout the rules and cause senseless carnage on our roads, and now it is time for all Queenslanders to do their part.

After an urgent roundtable meeting earlier this year to address the horrific carnage on our roads, Transport Minister Mark Bailey will today announce a tranche of measures to target bad drivers.

One of the major measures being considered is a test on the road rules whenever drivers renew their licence, and another is immediate roadside licence suspensions for drivers travelling more than 40 km/h over the speed limit.

The prospect of undergoing a test on the road rules during the licence renewal process may seem daunting – and to some, unnecessary – but it could be a small price to pay for better drivers on our roads.

Last year, 299 people died on Queensland roads. It was the most deaths in the state since 2009.

That’s 299 people who did not get home to their families, and the impact of that cannot be underestimated.

Those families are still grieving, and will be for a long time to come.

Since 2017, the road toll has increased by an average of 40 deaths.

Many road deaths are preventable, and perhaps a refresher test every few years could make all the difference.

The government and police have introduced a range of measures in recent times to catch the worst of the worst, including greater penalties for offences such as mobile phone usage, and more cameras on our roads to catch speedsters.

Immediate roadside licence suspensions for drivers busted travelling more than 40km/h over the speed limit seems to be a no-brainer.

These people don’t deserve to have a licence.

It’s a dangerous, high-risk activity to travel at such outrageous speeds and there should be no sympathy for those whose licences are suspended immediately.

Speed is, after all, one of the biggest killers on our roads and it is not an issue to be taken lightly.

Other measures to be announced which are aimed at boosting road safety include scrapping fees for the PrepL supervisor course, which is an online program to assist supervisor drivers who are coaching learner licence holders.

Motorcycle safety is also a key issue which will be addressed after a boom in motorcycle ownership during Covid, which had the unfortunate flow-on effect of more fatalities for riders.

More than 70 riders died last year – 22 more deaths than in 2016.

Police have said “lane splitting” is one of the major hazards for motorcyclists.

At the end of the day, the government can introduce as many measures as it wants and police can set up as many roadside breath test and speed stings as they want.

But it is up to each and every Queenslander to do the right thing.

Having a licence to drive is a privilege, not a right, and it should not be abused.

The families of Queenslanders who have died in horrific crashes will tell you as much.