Speed fiend clocked 205km/ h in 80 zone
CAUGHT
A TOWNSVILLE hoon was caught driving at 205km/ h in an 80kmh zone.
Police statistics released through Right to Information laws show Townsville’s worst speeder in the 2015- 16 financial year was one of 31,288 speeding offences police detected over the 12 months.
Those tickets cost leadfooted Townsville motorists about $ 5.8 million in fines.
Most fines ( 25,321) were sent to drivers doing less than 13km/ h over the limit.
A further 4899 fines were to motorists driving 13- 20km/ h over the limit and 818 fines went to people caught 21- 30km/ h over the limit.
Police issued 183 fines to drivers doing 31- 40km/ h over the limit and 67 fines went to drivers caught more than 40km/ h over the limit.
It is the physical cost of dangerous driving that Townsville Hospital emergency department director Luke Lawton sees all too often.
“Emergency doctors and nurses see more injury and trauma from traffic accidents than we ever should,” he said.
Dr Lawton said although fatal crashes got the most attention, those that caused severe injuries could be lifechanging.
“When we talk about the carnage on our roads it isn’t as black and white as those who have lived and those who have FINES issued to Townsville drivers in the 2015- 16 financial year: Less than 13km/ h over the speed limit: 25,321 fines 13- 20km/ h over: 4899 fines 21- 30km/ h over: 818 fines 31- 40km/ h over: 183 fines More than 40km/ h over: 67 fines died – with hundreds sustaining serious injuries that will affect them and their families for the rest of their lives,” he said.
“While the deaths on our roads make the headlines, the lives of those patients who are seriously injured may never be the same again – it is very much the hidden road toll.
“These injuries can leave people with lifelong disabilities or brain damage and, apart from the physical injuries, there is also financial and emotional stress to the victim and their families as well as to the entire community and the health system.”
Leading road safety expert Rebecca Ivers said managing speeds and improving road quality were vital to making roads safer.
“Safety gains on highways can be made by managing speed, better road quality and safer cars. In rural regions people are often travelling long distances on lower quality MABLE Sim has been a Townsville Bulletin subscriber for 65 years and has no plans to put the paper down.
And as her 90th birthday looms this week, Mrs Sim said she loved her morning ritual.
“I’ve got to get the news, I wake up at three or four and I go down and get the paper, before going back to bed … eventually when I get back out of bed, I read it first thing,” roads said.
National road user body Australian Automobile Association has called for a national inquiry into road safety after a report found 42,000 people were seriously injured on Australian roads each year.
“At a time when new vehicles and roads have never been safer, we need to understand why 40 years of road safety improvement appears to be at risk of being reversed,” the AAA said.
“Such an inquiry is an important, urgent, and low- cost step the Government can take towards reducing the human suffering, and the billions in annual economic costs caused by road crashes.” in less- safe cars,” Mrs Sim said. “I go through it and when I see anything that’s interesting, I’ll read it. And of course, I have got to read the cartoons and do some of the crosswords.
“There have been some interesting stories since 1952 and I hope to read many more.”
Mrs Sim turns 90 on Wednesday after celebrations with her family at the weekend. she