Four deaths on our roads show why Operation Auster is needed

The deaths of four people on our roads in the past week has highlighted with heartbreaking urgency why this region-wide police operation is needed.

The lead-up to Fatality Free Friday was marked with the deaths of four people in crashes on our roads, highlighting with heartbreaking urgency why drivers must pay close attention while behind the wheel.

A man and woman aged in their 80s and a 54-year-old man were killed instantly when their vehicle collided with a B-double truck in Nanango at 5.45am on Thursday, while a motorcyclist was killed when his bike collided with a car towing a caravan at Haigslea on Monday.

The two crashes elevated the death toll in the Queensland Police Services’ Southern Region to 24 for the year, which includes Ipswich, the Darling Downs and South West Queensland.

It is a sad irony that the crashes occurred while in the midst of Operation Auster – a region-wide policing campaign that targeted driver behaviour.

Southern Region Inspector David Campbell led the operation and said it was disappointing to see people die on our roads.

The scene of the Nanango crash where three people died. Picture: Andrew Hedgman

“It certainly shows why we have to get out there and try to reduce road trauma,” he said.

“Last year in the Southern Region 91 per cent of lives lost were as a result of Fatal Five Factors, with speeding and driving under the influence being the biggest contributor.

“To date in 2024, those factors are still remaining as the main contributors.

About 15 officers from across the region were tasked to the operation, moving from Ipswich, through the Darling Downs and into the South West.

They conducted a mix of static operations and patrols and stopped in at school and community centres to engage with young drivers.

In Dalby they held a Learner Drive Night where young drivers ran a series of drills in the town industrial estate.

They practised sharing the road with emergency services vehicles under lights and sirens, conducted mock random breath tests and were intercepted by police.

Inspector Campbell said the aim was to increase young drivers’ confidence and to teach them what to do in an emergency.

“The feedback we had was really positive and we are looking to do one in Toowoomba soon,” he said.

The operation was also heavy on enforcement, with police issuing more than 2400 random breath and 150 drug tests.

They detected 31 alleged drugged drivers, one of whom allegedly had a child in the car who was not wearing a seatbelt.

Police wrote up 195 traffic notices, including one for a driver who was allegedly pinged doing 111km/h in a roadworks zone that was marked at 60km/h.

Fatality Free Friday is an initiative from the Australia Road Safety Campaign to encourage better driving behaviour by focusing on the Fatal Five – speeding, distraction, failing to wear a seatbelt, drug or drink driving, and fatigue.

Originally published as Four deaths on our roads show why Operation Auster is needed