RACT seeks input on submission to parliamentary inquiry in bid to lower Tassie’s road toll
The RACT is asking drivers for their input on the organisation’s submission to a parliamentary inquiry in a bid to lower Tasmania’s road toll. HAVE YOUR SAY >>
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- Governing bodies gather to launch Road Safety Week and help reduce high death toll
- RACT says road toll represents a policy failure
THE RACT wants its 210,000 members to help it in the fight to improve road safety.
The motoring organisation is asking for input on its submission to a parliamentary inquiry which aims to bring down the road toll.
RACT chief advocacy officer Garry Bailey said the RACT would add the feedback from Tasmanians to data and best practice insights from across the globe.
“We want to hear what Tasmanians think about road safety and what the solutions might be,” Mr Bailey said.
“We want Tasmanians to speak out and we want our leaders to listen. The campaign being launched today and the Legislative Council inquiry will provide a platform for that.
“Today, as part of our campaign we are launching a website that will help us gauge the thoughts, opinions and ideas of our members.
He said on current trends, 175 Tasmanians would die on the state’s roads in the next five years, and 15000 would be seriously injured.
Between 2011 and 2020, 321 lives were lost on Tasmania’s roads and 2,695 people were classed as seriously injured.
Submissions can be made via the RACT website.
Midland Highway crash claims lives of Victorian tourists
TWO more Victorian holiday-makers have been killed on Tasmania’s roads as pressure on the state and federal governments builds to spend promised highway funding now to reduce the road toll.
A man and woman from Victoria died on Monday after their car hit a truck as they overtook another vehicle on the Midland Highway - which has long been earmarked to become a full four-lane thoroughfare - just south of Campbell Town.
Their deaths follow a fatal crash at Exton on the Bass Highway which killed two pastors from Melbourne and orphaned their three children.
Police said they are continuing the process of formally identifying the two people and completing Next of Kin notifications.
The latest double fatality has brought Tasmania’s road toll to 20 so far this year a figure Assistant Police Commissioner Jonathan Higgins has called “totally unaceptable.”
Labor Senator Anne Urquhart said it was now time to bring forward promised funding and planned roadworks on both the Midland and Bass highways as a matter of urgency.
“We asked questions about the timelines for these projects in Budget estimates in May. In relation to the Bass Highway works between Devonport and Launceston, tenders for contractors to carry out the work will not be called until 2023,” she said.
“People are dying now and this money was first promised in 2018-29. It seems to be a case of delays in money coming through from Canberra and the state government getting on with the job.”
Assistant Commissioner Higgins said four new mobile speed cameras would be coming online soon and they would go to crash black spots.
He said speed cameras certainly “had their place”in changing road behaviour.
“I think it’s important with new tech what we trial and use it for not speed but for inattention, mobile phones, seatbelts. It’s important that we get the right tech this time to actually have the greatest impact on drivers behaviours.”
He said any talk of changing the 100km speed limits on both highways was a matter for legislators.
“Speed is absolutely a factor, one of the main factors in serious crashes. It can always be explored but we’re talking about a straight stretch of road at Campbell Town and at Exton the weekend before,” he said.
“It can come down to drivers taking responsibility and understanding that when behind the wheel they have responsibility for themselves and other road users.”
Police plead with drivers after second double fatal in two weeks
A serious two vehicle crash south of Campbell Town which claimed the lives of two people.
Police were called to the scene at 2:10pm after the small red sedan collided with a truck, killing two people in the sedan.
Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash were ongoing.
“Police are working to identify the people and notify next of kin,” Commissioner Higgins said.
It’s believed the two who died were the only ones in the vehicle.
Police say the truck driver was not injured.
“I can only assume the truck driver is devastated,” Commissioner Higgins said.
The Commissioner said it was the second double fatal in recent weeks.
“It’s a tremendous toll on emergency services and the community,” he said.
“That division is attending the second double fatal in the matter of two weeks.
“Sadly our fatalities this year, we’ve lost 20 compared to 18 last year, none is acceptable”
He said motorists need to ensure they drive to conditions.
“Our wintery conditions at the moment, we’ve had severe weather conditions.”
“People need to slow down, you’ve got to realise you might not be able to do 100km an hour if it’s icy”
Motorists are also being reminded they need to slow down when driving past emergency services.
“I also want to reiterate, you must slow down to 40kmh when you’re going past emergency service vehicles when they have their lights on.”
“This is to make sure you can go safely past emergency service workers who are there responding to critical incidents or are intercepting to motorists who aren’t doing the right thing”
The highway was blocked until 6.20pm as crews worked to investigate and clear the scene
“It’s a busy highway, people are returning from school holidays, there are lots of people affected,” Commissioner Higgins said.
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