National Road Safety Week off to horror start with four deaths in Queensland

A top Queensland cop has admitted his anger and frustration as national road safety week began in Queensland with a shocking four “absolutely preventable” deaths at the weekend.

National road safety week is already off to a horror start in Queensland, as police reveal this year’s road toll increased by four at the weekend.

The week, which started yesterday, is to raise awareness and prevent road related deaths, however has already been marred by the deaths of four Queenslanders, taking the state’s road toll to 100 lives lost.

Speaking about the tragic deaths of the four people, Queensland Police Service Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder said the fatal five again played a significant role in the preventable deaths.

“The four lives lost on the weekend were totally preventable, absolutely preventable,” Supt Rohweder said.

“The fatal five once again stars, for want of a better expression, fatigue, not wearing a seat belt, speeding, drink or drug driving and distraction.”

Melissa Richardson died after the car she was in collided with a school bus on the Warrego Highway. Picture: Facebook

A sombre Supt Rohweder said working on how to prevent further deaths on Queensland’s roads keeps him up at night.

“I’ve thought long and hard about this, it’s one of the things that keeps me up at night,” he said.

“I think people honestly believe it won’t happen to them.... it is a life lost. It’s a family member or friend. People don’t believe it can happen to them, they think that it happens to someone else.”

He said he gets frustrated, and at times angry, when reviewing the senseless loss of life following each crash.

Nineteen patients were taken to Roma Hospital, including one child in a serious condition, and an adult in a critical condition, following the Wallumbilla bus crash. Picture: QAS

As he urged the driving public to take more consideration and care on the roads, Supt Rohweder also highlighted the importance of buckling up.

“Of all the things, I just don’t get people not wearing a seatbelt.... a lot of those crashes (where people don’t wear seatbelts) those people would survive if they were wearing one,” he said.

“I can tell you (not wearing a seatbelt) is not a county thing, it’s a stupid thing.”

Supt Rohweder said despite the best efforts of the QPS to engage with academics, specialists and road safety partners, the onus still remains with the driver.

“It zeros back to driver behaviour,” he said.

National Road Safety Week runs from May 16- 23.