Horror Xmas road toll rises as chaos builds on M1

At deadline, 13 fatalities had been recorded in NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia in the past four days, with recently released figures reporting a 6.3 per cent annual rise for the country’s road toll to November 30.

The figures follow a chaotic but non-fatal Christmas on Gold Coast roads. On Christmas Day police were forced to shut three northbound lanes on the M1 as emergency services worked to free a woman in her 70s trapped inside a car. Paramedics arrived on scene to a single-vehicle rollover just outside Wet n Wild theme park on the Pacific Motorway at Oxenford at 8.23am.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service freed the woman who was in a stable condition at 8.49am. On Saturday police closed three M1 lanes as emergency services responded to a five-car crash causing traffic mayhem. Paramedics assessed multiple people on scene and took four in a stable condition to hospital.

Queensland authorities have warned drivers of a high-visibility operation targeting drink driving and those under the influence of drugs. All up 271 have died in 2023 road smashes.

An 18-year-old man died from critical injuries after his car rolled off Gentle Annie Road in Ambrose at about 6.30pm on Friday night. His two passengers – a 17year-old, and a 19-year-old – were taken to Gladstone Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. In the early hours of Saturday morning, a man, 27, also died in Ashgrove in Brisbane when his motorcycle crashed into a pole on Waterworks Rd. Police have appealed for anyone with dashcam footage to contact police as the Forensic Crash Union continue investigations.

Assistant Commissioner Chris Stream urged people to enjoy the festive season safely: “Don’t drink or drug drive, watch your speed, buckle up, limit distractions and be wary of fatigue.

“We’ve lost too many lives on roads this year in Queensland and the last thing we want to do is break the news that a loved one won’t be making it home for Christmas this year.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Christmas message on X implored people to drive safely, especially with storms forecast to lash multiple states on Christmas Eve: “Already we’ve seen too many lives tragically lost on our roads these holidays. Our hearts are with those families grieving.”