Well, as we come to one of the media staples of this nation, the grisly "ROAD TOLL" reports at the end of the holiday season, John Anderson (Deputy Prime Minister, in case you were wondering) has the answers we're all looking for.
Young drivers are to blame!
Yes, you heard right. It's not overburdened and under-maintained roads, it's not fatigue, it's not car design, it's not the old nor the middle aged. It's not even speed!!! It's kids! Reckless, irresponsible, immoral young Australians!
As a young (19) driver that covered some 1500k's without incident this holiday season, I find this more than a little offensive. Yes, we all know there are plenty of young idiots out there, and this topic has been covered many, many times.
However, for the Deputy PM to make these allegations without supporting them with any facts or statistics (however spurious "official statistics" may be) is simply unacceptable.
It is obvious that current road safety policy does not work. We have safer cars, better driver education and better roads, yet the toll continues to climb.
Sorry for covering old ground that's been done to death in the past, but I thought everyone should know about the article.
Nick
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ARTICLE HERE
Deputy PM blames young drivers
Reckless young drivers are blamed for adding to the road toll as police struggle to explain how 81 people died on Australian roads this holiday period.
It was one of the worst Christmas/New Year road tolls in recent years, leaving authorities at a loss on how to better deliver the road safety message to drivers.
Acting Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson said speed and the recklessness of young drivers were key factors.
"There are still too many young people ... who think when they're behind the wheel of a car that they're invincible, they don't think enough about their own safety," Mr Anderson told Sydney radio 2UE.
"But immorally they don't think enough about the safety of other people on the roads."
During the Christmas season, drivers also took back roads thinking they could get away with speeding or drink driving.
NSW recorded the highest holiday road toll in the nation with 24 deaths, followed by Queensland with 18 and Victoria 17. South Australia recorded nine fatalities, Western Australia six, Tasmania four, the Northern Territory three and the ACT remained fatality free for the third successive year.
The national holiday road toll stood at 81, 10 more than for the festive season last year.
NSW traffic services commander Chief Superintendent John Hartley said the police spent more than $100 million a year on road safety.
Police will sit down with the Roads and Traffic Authority and road safety agencies to examine what strategies can be used to curb the road toll.
Chief Supt Hartley said among the issues to be looked at are a national road safety strategy, enforcement and road engineering, with each of the fatal accidents to be studied.
"Driver behaviour is a big issue; drivers kill, cars don't," he said.
"It's heartbreaking more than frustrating. We've all had to go and tell parents, grandparents or children of the death of a loved one."
Victoria's acting Premier John Thwaites described his state's Christmas road toll as a tragedy.
"It's a tragedy for the family and friends of those who died," he said.
Australian Automobile Association spokesman Greg Hunting said cars were now safer but road funding had fallen behind.
"We know that improving the infrastructure will further reduce the road toll," he said.
"We as the community have a responsibility and that includes driver behaviour but governments also have responsibilities and that includes improving the safety of roads."
©AAP 2003
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