SA Police launch new Life is a Gift road safety campaign ahead of Christmas long weekend, as SA’s road toll climbs again
Police have issued a fresh plea asking South Australians to take care on the roads this Christmas, as the state’s road toll reaches 110 overnight.
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Police have issued a fresh plea for motorists to take care ahead of Christmas, as another family mourns a tragedy on South Australia’s roads.
Tyson Cox-Rice, 25, died after his car rolled and slammed into a tree in the Adelaide Hills on Wednesday night.
His two passengers, a 20-year-old Elizabeth South woman and a 19-year-old Blakeview woman, were injured in the crash, on Mount Barker Rd, Hahndorf, near Leonard Rd.
Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Mr Cox-Rice’s heartbroken mother Meagan said: “I don’t even know where to start, words fail me.”
“Tyson will be sadly missed by so many people,” she told 7News.
On Thursday, his grandmother Jeannette Rice left flowers at the scene of the crash.
“We don’t know what happened, we don’t know yet, so it’s just heartbreaking,” Mrs Rice said.
“He was going to come and see us on Christmas, but it’s not going to happen now.”
Mr Cox-Rice’s grandparents visited the scene of the accident on Thursday to leave flowers and pay their respects.
SA Police on Friday launched its new Life is a Gift campaign in an effort to stem the flow of lives lost on SA roads this year throughout the festive season.
Traffic Investigation Section officer-in-charge Inspector Mick Turnbull said police would do everything they could to reinforce road safety.
“It’s been a challenging year for everyone,” Inspector Turnbull said.
“We don’t just deal with the crash and forget about it, we’re actually dealing with the families.”
Inspector Turnbull said some crashes, particularly in rural areas, were the result of people not driving to the conditions.
“Road conditions change rapidly and they’re not adapting their driving behaviour to that condition and as a result they’re having serious road crashes in those rural areas,” he said.
It comes as police prepare to crack down on drug and drink driving over the long weekend, with extra roadside testing rolled out across the state.
“We’re just asking people to have a think about what they’re doing and if you’re not feeling quite up to doing the trip, have an alternative plan,” Inspector Turnbull said.
“Generally people try and go and do the right thing but there’s always those people that think they’re exempt from the rules or it’s not going to happen to me.
“We’re just hoping that nothing more happens during this Christmas phase.”
The pleas come after the state’s road toll climbed to 110 this week – compared to 66 at the same time last year – following the death of a 25-year-old Blair Athol man, who died in a crash in the Adelaide Hills on Wednesday night.
His two passengers, a 20-year-old Elizabeth South woman and a 19-year-old Blakeview woman, were injured in the crash and taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
Inspector Turnbull said speed was believed to have been a factor in the fatal crash.
Police Minister Joe Szakacs implored South Australians to “remember that life is a gift”.
“We’ve seen a tragic year on our roads,” he said.
“Every death on our roads is compounded by the dozens and dozens and dozens of people who live and breathe that trauma.”
Mr Szakacs pleaded with South Australians to also consider the state’s emergency services after a horror period for SA Police.
“If there’s a motivation that you need coming into Christmas and the New Year, it’s give our first responders a break,” he said.
“Give our police, give our firefighters, give our emergency workers, our nurses, our doctors, a break.
“Give them a break from the trauma that we see on our roads, give them a break from responding to the trauma, the death, the serious injury.
“Give our police a break from that knock on the door of your family and your friends to let them know that something tragic has occurred.
“That is the greatest gift you can give this Christmas.”
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Originally published as SA Police launch new Life is a Gift road safety campaign ahead of Christmas long weekend, as SA’s road toll climbs again
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