Mackay district moves towards deadliest road toll in five years

They are sons and daughters, fathers and mothers. Their deaths have left communities grieving. There are too many of them, but they will not be forgotten. They are the faces of the region’s devastating road toll.

Frustrated Mackay police are imploring the community to talk about road ­safety as the district moves ­towards the deadliest road toll in five years.

The figure has prompted ­officers to refocus how they target driver behaviour.

A twin boy aged 12, a health hero, ­beloved fathers and mothers, stalwart community members – these are among the 16 lives lost on our roads with half of those tragedies happening in May.

“We’ve pushed the fatal five (message) time and time again, and what we’re seeing more ­recently and, sadly, through the month of May is that people are choosing to ignore the messaging that is coming from Queensland Police and our partner emergency services,” Mackay Acting Inspector Jeremy Novosel said.

Whitsunday boy Stirling Edwards-Bland was tragically killed in a crash on the Bruce Highway. Picture: Inge Hansen / Whitsunday Times.

As a result, police have ­refocused how they target bad driver behaviour as well as positive ­reinforcement mes­sages for motorists.

The most recent fatality occurred on May 24 when a driver crashed into a parked car on Nebo Rd.

He was taken to hospital but died, bringing the number to die on our roads this year to 16.

However only 14 of those deaths will be counted in the official road toll, with two reported as being linked to suspected medical episodes.

Today is Fatality Free Friday, an initiative that focuses on driver behaviour.

“For the month of May sadly this is the eighth fatality,” Insp Novosel said, adding contributing factors in some of the “more recent fatalities ... centre around alcohol”.

“It’s extremely frustrating, and our police are in disbelief that drivers still continue to take risk-taking behaviour.

“What we want to certainly reinforce is that these risk-­taking behaviours – whether or not ... you are a pedestrian or ... get behind the (wheel) ­affected ... you really need to reconsider, are you taking the best course of action to get yourselves home safely?”

Hannah Atherton, 19, was the pillion passenger on her 60-year-old father Alan Atherton’s Harley Davidson as part of a birthday ride when tragedy struck about 10.25am on Monday April 18. Both died as a result of a traffic crash on the Bruce Highway at Koumala. Picture: Facebook

Having to tell people their loved one had died because of bad driver behaviour was ­“devastating”, he said.

“It’s devastating to everyone involved. It’s devastating to the families. It’s devastating to the police who have to turn up to deliver probably one of the most difficult messages that we have to face in our job,” Insp Novosel said.

The 2022 figures are a huge spike from the two lives lost in the same period in 2021.

There were 10 lives lost in 2020, which was considered the worst year in recent times, three in 2019 and five in 2018 – all in the same timeframe.

“It’s definitely concerning with the levels that we’re at at the moment,” Insp Novosel said.

“It’s elicited a response ­locally for how ... our policing actions are targeting driver ­behaviour.”

He said there was an ­increased police presence on roads and officers were taking a proactive education ­approach with drivers.

“Certainly high visibility, high volume police actions and activities are being encouraged,” he said, adding officers were being urged to take ­responsibility not only for their community but the district as a whole to ensure the road safety message was being delivered.

Ralph Gibbs died in a crash on the Bruce Highway at Bowen on February 23.

Education strategies, positive reinforcement and traffic enforcement should also be ­expected, he said.

“Asking general questions – where are they coming from, where are they going ... where their rest stops are,” Insp Novo­sel said.

“Talking about proactive strategies to remind them about the responsibilities that they have on themselves as a road user.

“We are actually appealing to our communities to have discussions among certain groups, among their families to reinforce what the expectation of positive driver behaviour is.”

He said the majority of people respected road safety.

“But, unfortunately, what we’ve seen recently ... some of the driver behaviour actions have contributed to the unfortunate set of circumstances leading to the loss of lives,” he said.