Townsville police’s secret weapon in battle to eliminate road deaths

Townsville police have revealed new technology they hope will drive down the road toll on roads across North Queensland these holidays.

Townsville police have revealed their secret weapons including new technology which they hope will drive down the road toll on roads across North Queensland these holidays.

Unmarked highway patrols, mobile radar stations and the help of some of the community’s youngest passengers are among the areas they will target.

Highway Patrol Townsville Officer in Charge Senior Sergeant Robert Nalder said while state had experienced nine more deaths at this time compared to last year, Townsville had almost halved its road toll.

This time last year 21 lives had been lost in region, compared to 12 in 2022.

But Senior Sergeant Nalder said even one life lost was too many.

“This is my community too. I live here, I drive on the roads. It’s the same with all the other police,” Senior Sergeant Nalder said.

“To see these things continually happen, frustrating is probably the nicest word you could put to it.”

Highway Patrol Townsville Officer in Charge Senior Sergeant Robert Nalder. Picture: Evan Morgan

Senior Sergeant Nalder said police’s ability to educate the public was limited.

“It’s the same message all the time, but we just don’t seem to be getting it and I don’t understand why,” he said.

“If we do the right thing, we look at the speed zones and the area we’re travelling in, the type of road, whether it’s flooded and drive to the conditions, everyone will be okay.
“For some reason, when we hop behind a steering wheel, it seems to go out the window.”

In addition to unmarked police vehicles patrolling highways, increased random roadside testing, the police will also be rolling out more versatile mobile radar units to make sure everyone is behaving.

“What we really need to be careful about in the rural areas is fatigue and people getting complacent,” Senior Sergeant Nalder said.

“A lot of people get behind the wheel and they start drifting off.

“I was following a fellow the other day and we were driving across the Bowen road bridge and I could see he was just swerving a little, straying between the lines.

“I got a bit closer and I realised he was sitting there behind the wheel, playing with his hair, both hands away from the wheel.

“He had no idea that what he was doing could have affected not only himself, but everyone else on the road. If a kid runs out, if a bicycle rider or a car loses control? He’s got no physical control over his vehicle.”

The goal, Senior Sergeant Nalder said, is eliminating situations such as what he witnessed so there are no deaths on Townsville’s roads.

But he stressed he cannot do it alone.

“What we have been striving to achieve in the Townsville district is reducing that road toll, which we’ve managed to do, we’re nine under where we were last year, but the downside is that we’ve had even one. We have to try and reduce it to zero fatals for the year. It’s a hard task.

“We need the help of the motoring community. Everyone. Even kids, believe it or not, they are fantastic. They know the road, they know that the big 60 on that sign means the speed limit and if they see you travelling over that limit, they’ll bring it up.”

Originally published as Townsville police’s secret weapon in battle to eliminate road deaths