2022 on track to be horror year on our roads

A tragic amount of deaths on pour roads has emergency service personnel and community leaders united in their calls for motorists to slow down, drive with caution, turn of their phone and wear seatbelts as our region confronts a spike in fatal traffic crashes

Scott Todd, Thomas Geitz, Raju Chikati, Brett Knecht, Maidie Page, Craig Cattell – these are just six of the 46 people who have died in our region in 2022.

It is hoped that they will be the last, but if the first half of the year is anything to go by, 2022 will go down as one of the most dangerous on record.

The sad statistics were released as part of Queensland Road Safety Week and show an extra 14 people have died in our region than at the same time last year.

They were at the front of mind when police, paramedics, firefighters and community leaders gathered on Monday for the launch of the annual road safety campaign.

Queensland Police Service Assistant Commissioner for the Southern Region Charysse Pond called on motorists to make better decisions with a focus on being safe on and around motorbikes.

“This year about 20 per cent of fatal crashes in our region have involved a motorcycle,” she said.

Promoting road safety are (from left) QAS Executive Manager of Operations Glen Maule, QPS Southern Region Assistant Commissioner Charysse Pond, Toowoomba councilors Melissa Taylor, Paul Antonio and Carol Taylor, Groom MP Garth Hamilton, QFES Western Region Assistant Commissioner David Hermann and Toowoomba Councilor Tim McMahon.

Police data shows the large number of these motorbike crashes involve riders either speeding or failing to wear a helmet.

The latter is of particular concern for rural riders with several recent crashes on country roads.

“Please ride or drive to the conditions, wear adequate protection, and if you are riding a motorcycle, please wear a helmet,” Ms Pond said.

Police and emergency services will be out in force through the week conducting high visibility patrols of our highways and rural roads, looking for motorists flouting the traffic rules.

But while police do their part, Groom MP Garth Hamilton called on the public to step up.

He opened up about the deep personal toll fatal crashes have on the community.

“We would all have a story about someone we lost on our roads. I have two very good friends who always come to mind,” he said.

“One was 18 years old, we had just finished high school and he jumped on his first motorcycle and didn’t come home.

“He was a great young kid with the world ahead of him, but the accident report showed he had just got a bit distracted.”

Mr Hamilton described the second person as “like a big brother”.

“He was a truck driver who got too tired, rolled over and left behind an eight-year-old son.”

They are stories that serve as a warning for motorists to drive to the conditions, stay off their phone, take regular breaks, don’t drink and drive and wear a seatbelt and drive at a sensible speed.

“There is nothing earth-shatteringly new here,” Mr Hamilton said. “But it is up to each one of us to take them on.”