Andrew Symonds’ death reveals bigger problem in Qld

Former Test cricketer Andrew Symonds’ death was part of a horror weekend on Queensland’s roads, and it’s a trend the state can’t buck.

Former Test cricketer Andrew Symonds’ death has shone a light on Queensland’s worrying 2022 road toll, which is on track to be the state’s worst in more than a decade.

Symonds, 46, was one of four people who died in a horror 12 hours on the state’s road from Saturday evening to early Sunday morning, with a 30-year-old man, 53-year-old man and 59-year-old man also losing their lives.

A 36-year-old man also died in a single-vehicle crash on Friday evening.

Symonds died when his car left the road and rolled on Hervey Range Rd near Townsville on Saturday night.

Australian cricket great Andrew Symonds was one of four people who lost their life on Queensland’s roads in the space of 12 hours. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

One hundred and twenty people have died on Queensland’s roads so far in 2022, representing a 15 per cent increase from this time last year when the toll sat at 102.

It puts the state on track for 325 deaths by the end of the year, which would be the first time Queensland has recorded more than 300 lives lost in a year since 2009.

The state had the highest road toll of any Australian jurisdiction last year (274) and the second-highest in 2020 (278).

Before 2020 Queensland had been experiencing a year by year decrease since 2016, including 219 deaths in 2019.

The weekend’s tragedy coincided with the start of National Road Safety Week, with authorities urging the public to stick to the rules.

Drivers are being asked to avoid the fatal five: speeding, drink/drug driving, not wearing a seat belt, fatigue and distractions, and to “take the pledge” on how they will make the roads safer.

Bridges and buildings across the state will also be lit up in yellow at night to mark National Road Safety Week.

Originally published as Andrew Symonds’ death reveals bigger problem in Qld