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Southport MP urges residents to slow down for loved ones at Christmas |
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| Posted by editor (editor) on Nov 19 2009 |
| 2009 >> |
Member for Southport, Peter Lawlor, is urging local residents to slow down when driving over the festive season for the sake of their loved ones in a bid to stop deaths caused by speeding in the Southport area.
Mr Lawlor said the Bligh Government’s road safety campaign was based on evidence showing speed contributed to almost one in every four deaths on Queensland roads this year.
“A new television commercial, ‘Faces’, within the Slow down stupid campaign, will air until the new year to remind us all of the impact on families who have lost loved ones in speed related crashes,” Mr Lawlor said.
Mr Lawlor said this was the fourth in a series of six television commercials produced as part of the long-term Slow down stupid campaign which commenced last year.
Evaluation results from the first phase of the campaign have proved the approach to be successful, with more than three quarters of Queenslanders followed up agreeing ‘since seeing the advertising I’m less inclined to speed’, and 72 per cent agreeing they ‘check the speedo more often’.
“While the results from this campaign have been positive, we need to keep up constant reminders to motorists that it’s not just young hoons on high speed freeways who die in speed crashes - it is innocent people, including your friends or family sitting in the passenger seat beside you,” Mr Lawlor said.
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan said that in the first nine months of this year, 61 people lost their lives on Queensland roads in crashes involving speeding.
Of the 61 deaths, 64 per cent (39 people) were the speeding drivers or riders themselves, almost one in four (23 per cent, 14 people) were the innocent passengers of the speeding drivers or riders, and a further 13 per cent (8 people) were other road users (drivers, riders, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists).
Ms Nolan said that in addition to those killed on the road hundreds more were injured every year.
“On average more than 1000 people were either killed or injured in speed crashes in Queensland every year (2003 to 2007 average),” Ms Nolan said.
“Motorists who choose to speed need to realise they are putting all in their path at risk every time they put their foot down.
“There is simply no such thing as safe speeding, because you can’t predict the unexpected.
“If we are to reduce the number of avoidable deaths and injury on our roads, drivers must slow down and obey the speed limits.”
In the past five years (2004 to 2008):
· Almost as many fatalities occurred in 60k/h speed zones (32 per cent), as did in 100-110km/h zones (34 per cent), where the speed limit was known.
·Almost a third occurred in rural areas (31 per cent), with 41per cent in provincial cities, and 28 per cent in the greater Brisbane area.
Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 10:35 AM
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