Young drivers are again failing to get the message about road safety, with alarming numbers of young motorists confirming they have been speeding, sending texts, making phone calls and driving while tired or drunk.
In the wake of a horror month on Australian roads, a Federal Government report will confirm that speeding amonst other things remains endemic among Australian drivers.
One in four people interviewed believe is acceptable to speed ”if it is safe to do so”, while some people under 25 always or mostly drive at least 5 – 10 km/h over the speed limit.
Fatigue remains a major concern on Australian roads – who hasn’t been part of a long trip where the driver is focussed on getting to the actual destination and forgets to take a break or have a rest instead of zelously focussing on arriving there a point in time.
Many drivers have admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel, with a disturbing 4 in 10 having done so more than once. It has happened to me. It seems that even the people who should know best are having troubles. Deputy Commissioner Ken Lay, Victoria’s top traffic cop, was clocked doing 10 km/h over the 70 km/h limit through a country town.
6 out of 10 people use a mobile phone without a hands free kit. Next time you here the phone ring, leave it or pull over.
2 out of 10 drivers send text messages while at the wheel, which is extremely dangerous and 3 in 10 drivers read text messages and 3 in ten dial out with mobile phones.
Drivers’ poor behaviour have undermined efforts to cut the National Road Toll - the message is not getting through or we take calculated risks.
We need to educate drivers however it is the responsibility of the driver to understand that it is up to them to make a difference.
We all know that people text messaging while driving, clearly, are not concentrating on the roads and that represents a risk not only to themselves but to other people who are doing the right thing on the road.
You can have significant improvements to the safety of our roads and in the safety technology of our vehicles, but the human factor of driver responsibility is the essential componentto this.
It is interesting that a separate report by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, is to be released today, suggests Australia’s annual road toll is in danger of plateauing despite better policing, better roads and safer vehicles.
Last year, Australia recorded 1509 road crash deaths. That was 67 more deaths than in 2008, although still well below the levels that prevailed a decade ago.
Although Victoria’s road toll fell last year, the loss of life during the holiday period around the country in December was particularly bad. Every town in victoria would like to be accident free -
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