Road Deaths !

The Road Safety authorities are concerned that 2015 delivered a blip in the ever lowering deaths caused by road accidents.  Forty-one more citizens died in car crashes in 2015 than were recorded the previous year, and once again the road rules are under the microscope to determine what needs to be done to make motoring safer.

One of the problems is that we have a growing population who are addicted to the motor car.  There are now 23.6 million Australians living in this country and they have eighteen million cars or motorbikes, and most live in either a large city or a sizeable country town.   We actually average just 2.8 people for every square kilometre of this country and we are one of the less densely populated countries of the entire world.

Death by car accident breaks down into interesting categories.   Last year sixty-one pedestrians died and that was an increase of twenty on the year before.  Passenger deaths of sixty were an increase of seventeen, sixty-six motorcycle riders died and their seven increase shows how vulnerable two wheel transport is on busy roads - and alarmingly - fifty P plate drivers was an increase of sixteen on the year before.

The age of the Australian car pool is shortening.  We are buying more new cars and every new model is a vast upgrade in safety features  All new cars are tested to achieve a safety rating and these days those boasting less than five stars are hard to sell.  Every vehicle over three years old must undergo an annual safety check before registration and heavy fines apply for not wearing a seat belt or having children safely protected.   Motoring has never been safer and car deaths were a horror statistic back in 1945 - when our population was just over seven million people.   A lot less cars managed to have a lot more crashes.

Today's motoring death toll is blamed on three main causes.   Speeding.  Fatigue and that old perennial - driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The combination of loss of demerit points and speed cameras tick both boxes as a safety measure - and also a convenient revenue raiser for the government.  Love them or hate them, they are here to stay and the only way to keep a driving license is to pay attention to the speed limits.

There is no doubt that the use of random breath testing is weeding out alcohol affected drivers.  The reduced numbers being caught speak for themselves, but alcohol has been replaced by drugs and drug testing regimes have only recently been perfected.   Expect roadside testing blitzes to increase sharply and the same result will probably slowly occur.   The risk factor is what compelled the average motorist to be careful with alcohol and that will apply to recreational drugs once the inconvenience of license loss begins to bite.

Fatigue is the real conundrum.  It sneaks up on people and it is hard to gauge.  We are often under pressure to meet time deadlines and it only takes a moments inattention to have fatal results.  The road statistics blip during holiday periods because we often apply unrealistic time tables to reaching holiday destinations.   The motif of a stop every two hours is a good one and the provision of rest stops offering toilets, coffee and biscuits should be encouraged.   The biggest problem is getting the average driver to undertake that as a driving necessity.

So we start a new year with the slate wiped clean.   Already the new death toll has started mounting.  If ever there was a sensible new year resolution, it would be to remain alive for when the fireworks welcome in 2017  !