'The faster you go, the harder you hit'

Eight in 10 fatalities on Southern Downs roads occur in high-speed zones

Emergency services on the scene of a fatal collision between a semi trailer and bike on the New England Highway. Picture: Gerard Walsh

EIGHT in 10 fatalities on Southern Downs roads occur in high-speed zones.

Government crash statistics show 89 people died on Southern Downs roads between 2001 and 2016. Of those deaths, 72 were on roads with 100 or 110kmh speed limits.

Just two people have died on Southern Downs 60kmh roads in the past 15 years. The remaining 15 deaths occurred on 80 or 90kmh roads.

RACQ spokeswoman Lauren Ritchie said high-speed roads were inherently more dangerous.

"The faster you go, the harder you hit, so when you do get in a crash it's fairly serious,” she said.

Ms Ritchie said as regional highways were often single-lane dual carriageways, head-on collisions at high speeds became more common.

Similarly, she said regional drivers were more likely to rely on highways than metropolitan drivers.

"The more frequently you travel on high-speed roads the higher the chance of being involved in a serious crash,” she said.

Ms Ritchie said making roads, cars and drivers safer was the key to saving lives on our roads.

She said it was vital drivers avoid the fatal five driving mistakes: speeding, driving intoxicated, not wearing a seatbelt, driving fatigued and driving distracted.

"You have to be up for the challenge of driving safely every time,” she said.

Originally published as 'The faster you go, the harder you hit'