Crash Test Dummies: Gold Coast a hotspot for speeding, hooning as Queensland pedestrian fatalities soar by 125 per cent

The Gold Coast has been labelled a hot spot for speeding and hooning – in part three of the Bulletin’s Crash Test Dummies investigation we reveal just how high pedestrian fatalities have soared.

THE number of pedestrians and cyclists killed on Queensland roads in the past year has more than doubled, but motoring officials cannot say why.

Data from the department of Transport and Main Roads reveals 18 pedestrians have lost their lives this year, compared to eight at the same time in 2019. Four cyclists have been killed, compared to two in 2019.

There are a number of dangerous Gold Coast roads. Picture Glenn Hampson

RACQ spokesperson Lauren Ritchie said it was “incredibly concerning” the number had more than doubled in such a short period of time.

MUM SHARES DEVASTATING STORY OF DAUGHTER’S CAR CRASH DEATH

“What makes it quite alarming (is that) there’s nothing we can definitively correlate it to,” she said.

“While 18 might not seem like a huge number to some, we must remember we’re talking about lives here.

“That’s 18 families that have had to deal with the tragic and unexpected loss of a loved one.”

The number of cyclists killed in crashes on Queensland roads has also doubled this year, with four killed so far compared to two in 2019.

“It’s the highest toll we’ve seen at this time of year since 2016,” Ms Ritchie said.

“We all need to do better when it comes to protecting the lives of cyclists.”

The statistics come days after the Bulletin revealed a majority of motorists in the city’s fastest-growing suburbs were driving almost 20km/h higher than the road limit.

Gold Coast City Council data showed at least 96 per cent of drivers were recording 70km/h in a 60km/h zone on hinterland roads now infamous for hooning.

Among the city’s worst for speedsters were Upper Coomera, Pimpama, Elanora and Coomera.

City officials have already spoken out about the ongoing problems turning city roads into crash hot spots.

Gold Coast MP Ros Bates has previously campaigned for a crackdown on hooning on Gold Coast hinterland roads.

Division 7 councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden named “speeding and hooning” as one of the main issues raised by constituents after a Molendinar intersection was revealed to be the second most dangerous in the city in the Bulletin’s Crash Test Dummies investigation.

“All the roads in question are state-controlled roads,” he said.

CRASH TEST DUMMIES

PART 1: Gold Coast’s worst crash suburbs revealed

PART 2: Plans to review Gold Coast’s most dangerous intersection

“It’s a problem for a large chunk of the city. This particular (Southport-Nerang Road) intersection has high traffic volume and all the roads lead to the CBD or the motorway.

“And with the hospital and the population growing it’s only getting bigger.

“Across the whole city it’s an issue, and it’s a policing issue for the most part. On Napper Road (in Arundel) people come straight off the motorway at speed.

“The problem is you never see a police officer with a radar gun anymore, and I think you need that visible police presence for people to slow down.

Division Seven councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden. Picture: Jerad Williams

“The single biggest issue I’m getting raised is speeding and hooning.”

Police launched a high-visibility RBT operation in several locations including Upper Coomera on Wednesday morning.

When asked about the new statistics Senior Sergeant Kevin Gant declined to comment on whether he had seen an on-the-ground rise in dangerous driving.

GOLD COAST’S WORST SPEEDING STREETS

He said Queensland Police Services were “committed to minimising road trauma”.

“We’ve got a number of strategies in place that can occur at any time, at any place, and (this RBT operation) is one of them.

“We also want to provide a safe environment for road users and ensure people are travelling safely and arrive at their destination.”