Worst in years: Deaths, injuries up as 108 people killed on Queensland roads in 2022

Queenslanders are being killed in car crashes at an alarming rate with the start of 2022 the worst for driver and passenger fatalities in at least six years.

Queenslanders are being killed in crashes at an alarming rate with the start of 2022 the worst for driver and passenger fatalities in at least six years.

The latest data from Transport and Main Roads revealed 108 people have died this year to May 8 in road crashes which is 37.4 per cent higher than the previous five year average.

Drivers make for almost half of those deaths, with driver fatalities up 42.5 per cent on the previous five year average.

The number of crashes resulting in hospitalisation, at 4,750, is also higher this year-to-date than before 2016.

Emergency doctor Dinesh Palipana OAM knows as well as anyone the pain behind those figures and said they provided an opportunity to reflect on risky behaviour as National Road Safety Week wrapped up.

Emergency doctor Dinesh Palipana was left quadriplegic after a car crash on the Gateway Motorway in 2010.

The Gold Coast doctor was left quadriplegic after a car crash on the Gateway Motorway in 2010, when he was halfway through medical school.

“I don’t know if everybody realises, driving along in something that’s more than a tonne in weight at 100km/h, just how dangerous it can be,” Dr Palipana said.

“When I had my accident, I was driving along perfectly normally and my car aquaplaned and hit a puddle so you can just be driving along and not doing anything and still have an accident.

“Yet you see so many people taking risks and engaging in behaviour that could lead to crashes.

“We need to be more respectful of how much damage a car can do.”

Dinesh Palipana’s car after the crash.

Data from 2016 to 2021 revealed more drivers in fatal car crashes had been speeding, were fatigued, or drink driving.

RACQ spokesman Lauren Cooney said while the State’s road toll was a tragedy, the alarming number of people suffering life-changing injuries in crashes demanded attention.

“As we mark National Road Safety Week, we need to highlight the devastating and often permanent impact of road trauma because a lot of people who survive road crashes can still have their lives changed forever,” she said.

“On average, around 20 Queenslanders are admitted to hospital every day with injuries suffered in a crash.

“Some people are in hospital for a few days while others are there long-term, having to learn to walk again or live with a significant brain injury.”

Emergency doctor Dinesh Palipana was left quadriplegic after a car crash on the Gateway Motorway in 2010.

Dr Palipana has a heightened appreciation of the journey ahead for injured passengers and drivers who come through the doors of the Gold Coast University Hospital.

He said while there was a huge spectrum of physical injuries, from abrasions to life-changing spinal injuries like his own, the trauma went far beyond.

“There are so many social consequences,” Dr Palipana said.

“It can affect education, employment, your family life, financial security and mental health.

“I know what that journey is like and I know how long it took to rebuild a life.

“Don’t take risks because it is just not worth it and a few seconds can change your life forever.”

After his crash, Dr Palipana initially would have done anything to get his old life back.

In his book Stronger to be released in July, the 2021 Queensland Australian of the Year details how his accident made him a better doctor with an understanding of his patients’ fears and concerns.