Motorbikes high on death toll list

A STAGGERING one in four of the people killed on the state’s roads last year were motorcyclists – the highest number of rider fatalities in five years.

The grim new figures released by Queensland Police reveal 274 people lost their lives in 2021 including a “shocking” 66 riders and pillion passengers.

The horror road toll comes as a four-year-old boy and a 32-year-old man are fighting for their lives after the blue Honda motorbike they were travelling on collided with a 4WD on New Year’s Day at Margate, north of Brisbane. Police are still investigating.

“That’s just shocking numbers as far as we’re concerned,” Acting Chief Superintendent Ray Rohweder said.

“The other disturbing figure in all of this is that well over 70 per cent of motorbike riders were at fault.”

In 2021, Queensland lost 18 pedestrians, nine cyclists, 66 motorcyclists and 181 drivers and passengers.

The spate of tragedies began early on the Sunshine Coast, when a drunk driver hit Henry Jennings, 21, who was walking in a bus lane on Maroochy Boulevard on New Year’s Day.

It ended late on New Year’s Eve at the Gold Coast, when Pimpama rider Hayden Duncan Lee died after his motorbike and another vehicle collided at Woongoolba about 9.40pm.

While the state recorded four fewer fatalities than in 2020, Supt Rohweder said the figures were “still terrible”.

“One life is one too many,” Supt Rohweder said.

A Queensland Police analysis of the fatalities showed speed and alcohol were a factor in a quarter of all fatal crashes.

One in four people who died were not wearing seatbelts and 30 per cent of those killed were aged between 16 and 24.

The North Coast region – which covers the Moreton, Sunshine Coast and Wide Bay Burnett districts – had the highest number of fatalities losing 72 people, followed by the South Eastern region where 52 people died.

“Really it’s pretty simple,” Supt Rohweder said. “Our message is that people need to obey the road rules and if they do, everyone should make it to their destination,” Supt Rohweder said.

He urged people returning from holidays to slow down and take ample breaks.

“Now, with people coming home from holidays, we really need people to manage their fatigue and take that break,” he said. “It’s better to arrive a little bit late than not arrive at all.”