Highway safety a priority

ANOTHER day and another tragedy on the Bruce Highway.

Yesterday a 25-year-old man died after a three-vehicle crash near the Australian Institute of Marine Science turn-off south of Townsville. These crashes are always horrible. Sadly this is not the first death on the state’s main highway around the area this year. Just last month 62-year-old Gregory Cedelland died near the roadhouse at Alligator Creek.

Figures from the Department of Transport and Main Roads show 422 people were injured in crashes on the highway, 100km north and south of Townsville, in the past four years.

In the past five years, including yesterday’s crash, more than 20 people have died on the same stretch of road.

This is outrageous – put simply it is too many.

Obviously not every crash on the road is the same, there are always different circumstances. But people need to take care on the road, not just for their own safety but for other users.

The other thing that needs to change is the Bruce Highway must be improved.

This will not stop all deaths on the road – unfortunately this will always happen – but it will help.

In other states, particularly New South Wales and Victoria the major arterial roads are in much better condition and are much safer for drivers.

There are upgrades coming north and south of Townsville on the highway, which are vital. But there remains more to be done. Yes road upgrades and adding overtaking lanes is not cheap but they help save people’s lives.

The scariest part of driving regionally is overtaking. Not all accidents happen when drivers are overtaking but surely any extra room on the Bruce Highway is a good thing for motorists.

We cannot let either the State or Federal governments stop investing in upgrading the highway.

There are too many people dying, there are too many people being injured and there are too many accidents on the road. Keeping the highway as safe as it can be is vital for everyone.