Qld: 2000 road toll will eclipse last year s if care not taken

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2000
Qld: 2000 road toll will eclipse last year s if care not taken

By Rosemary Desmond

BRISBANE, Dec 21 AAP - Driving habits were slowly changing for the better but Queensland's
2000 road toll was still expected to be up on last year, police commissioner Bob Atkinson
said today.

Speaking at the launch of the annual "Fatal Four" road safety campaign, Mr Atkinson
said 44 per cent of this year's road fatalities could be attributed to speed, alcohol,
driving while tired and not wearing seatbelts.

Around 50 people had died after failing to wear seatbelts, particularly in country
areas, he said.

"While all aspects of the fatal four comprise things that are avoidable ... the seatbelt
issue is totally avoidable," Mr Atkinson said.

Many young drivers, inexperienced at travelling long distances, also fell victim to
driving while tired and died behind the wheel, he said.

Queensland has so far recorded 307 deaths on the state's roads in 2000.

Mr Atkinson said last year's toll of 314 could be easily overtaken unless motorists
took extra care during the Christmas week.

"Driver habits are slowly changing for the better," Mr Atkinson said.

"However, despite the quite positive results from recent road safety campaigns, we
cannot afford to be complacent.

"I couldn't imagine anything worse for a family than to lose a family member at any
time, but particularly over the Christmas period."

Queensland police would again be mounting a crackdown on drink driving, with eight
new mini-Random Breath Testing (RBT) buses boosting the police presence.

"We think they'll be more effective than the older, larger buses and because of their
smaller size, they are more manoeuvrable and require less personnel to staff and operate,"

Mr Atkinson said.

Community attitudes to drink driving had changed enormously over the last two decades, he said.

"It's probably fair to say today that if someone you know is charged with drink driving,
you don't feel any sympathy for them," Mr Atkinson said.

"That's a very healthy sign."

AAP rad/jhm/mg

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD ATKINSON

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