Tasmania’s road death toll continues to climb above the national average

Five separate crashes and three deaths within two days have prompted the latest deadly spike in Tasmania’s “appalling” road death figures.

• Motorbikes seized for reckless speeding
• Another serious crash after woman killed at Huonville

FIVE crashes and three deaths within two days have prompted the latest spike in Tasmania’s “appalling” road death figures.

On Sunday, emergency services, including helicopter crews, responded to two single motorcycle crashes at Buckland and Karanja and a caravan crash at Triabunna in wild weather.

The male motorcycle rider from the Buckland crash was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital with serious injuries.

No serious injuries were reported in the caravan crash.

Photographer Paul Hoelen was driving back from Freycinet when he had to suddenly “slam on the brakes”. “Four cars in front of us, someone completely blew over,” he said.

“I’d guess the wind was about 75-80km/h so it was difficult just to stand up outside.

“People started to rush out of their cars to help out and get the people out of the vehicle.

“It was kind of beautiful to see that good Aussie help-your-fellow-man kind of spirit.”

 

The ute and caravan that were blown over on the Tasman Highway near Triabunna. Picture: PAUL HOELEN PHOTOGRAPHY

 

Road Safety Advisory Council chair Garry Bailey said 27 Tasmanians had lost their lives on our roads so far this year.

The number exceeds the total of 21 deaths this time last year.

Mr Bailey said Tasmania’s death and serious injury rate was 6.3 people per 100,000 compared with the national average of 4.7 people.

“If we reduced [Tasmania’s figure] to the national average we would save 10 lives or more every year,” he said.

The shocking findings come after two crashes on Saturday at Huonville and Bridge­north resulted in three deaths. On August 13, a father and his two-year-old daughter were killed in a crash on Algona Rd, Blackmans Bay.

 

A two-vehicle crash on the Huon Highway between Huonville and Franklin on Saturday. Picture: NIKKI DAVIS-JONES

 

Mr Bailey said road fatalities between January and June this year have surged by 6.3 per cent in Tasmania and 18.2 per cent in Queensland while all other states and territories had deaths reduce by between 18.2 and 33.3 per cent.

Mr Bailey said every year police caught 10,000 Tasmanians exceeding the speed limit by 20km/h or more, with speeding a common factor among crashes.

“That is potentially death on wheels,” he said.

“It is absolutely appalling behaviour and it’s got to be called out by anyone’s who’s thinking responsibly about road safety. When people weigh up the risk for using their mobile phone or going over the speed limit, the risk they think about is getting caught.

“The risk they should be thinking about is causing death and serious injury to themselves and other road users.”

He said millions of dollars were spent on safer road infrastructure each year but driving a vehicle was still “the most dangerous thing we do every day”.

“Until we get to a point where there’s technology in cars and on roads that would bring what we think would be a dramatic reduction in road trauma, people just have to abide by the rules,” he said.