Queensland drivers have experienced the safest start to the year in a decade

Queensland drivers have experienced the safest start to a year on the roads in over a decade despite recent horror crashes, according to the BITRE.

Queensland has started 2019 with its lowest road toll in at least a decade despite some recent horror crashes.

In the first two months of the year 26 people lost their lives on Queensland roads, according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE),

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This is the lowest figure since BITRE began publishing the data in 2009.

The figure represents a 24 per cent decrease on last year’s number with Queensland bucking the nationwide increase of 16 per cent for the February and January road toll.

RACQ Head of Technical and Safety Policy, Steve Spalding, said while positive it was still early days.

Steve Spalding of RACQ. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“Any reduction compared to the previous year is always a very good starting point and if there is reduction compared to the rolling five year average that is another positive,” Mr Spalding told the Courier Mail.

“Keeping it in perspective these are very early numbers for the year … they can easily move around.”

Mr Spalding said it was important for drivers to remain vigilant to keep the road toll low.

“It is about just reminding yourself that it is fellow human beings who might not see the end of the day simply because they’re trying to get to or from somewhere,” he said.

Fifteen people were killed on the road in Queensland in January while February claimed another 11 lives. Since February a further seven people have died in Queensland road crashes.

They include mother-of-four Penelope Petersen, 46, who died in a motorcycle crash on Brisbane’s Hale St and truck driver John Hiles, 32, killed in a horror smash near Cloncurry on Tuesday.

Road train driver John Hiles killed in a crash with a ute on Barkly Highway near Cloncurry on Tuesday.

Penelope Petersen, 46, was travelling north on Hale Street at Paddington, in Brisbane's inner west, when she collided with a vehicle as she was approaching Caxton Street. She was flung from her motorcycle and died at the scene.

The current road toll of 33 is nine less than the same time last year and a 20 per cent decrease on the five year average.

The 33 deaths consist of 18 drivers, nine motorcyclists, three pedestrians, two passengers and a cyclist.

Mr Spalding said each number in the road toll caused a “ripple effect”.

“Each number is a person and each person has a network of family and friends and a number to that individual’s family and friends is irrelevant to them,” he said.

“It’s about that personal loss.”