Road toll doubles on Coast

DRIVER incentives such as registration discounts are being touted as a way to reduce fatal accidents after an appalling year on Gold Coast roads.

But the State Government isn’t convinced the idea to reward drivers for good behaviour could save lives.

Statistics provided to the Bulletin by the Department of Transport and Main Roads show 18 people died in car-related accidents on the Gold Coast last year — double the nine deaths in 2016. Five motorbike or moped riders died, three more than 2016.

Just last week, a motorbike rider was killed after coming off his bike at Advancetown.

Australian Road Safety Foundation CEO Russell White said spikes in the death toll could be curbed by rewarding drivers for good behaviour.

“There’s no single solution to it … but I think rewards could play an important role,” he said.

“It’s typically dollar value, such as reducing the licence renewal fee. Simple things like that could be easy to achieve.”

RACQ spokeswoman Lucinda Ross agreed, saying there was “definitely a role for a carrot-and-stick approach”.

But there are no plans for the State Government to introduce registration discounts or an incentive licensing system.

According to research by the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety, the scheme would have a limited road safety benefit or could undermine the effectiveness of other countermeasures.

Sgt Ian Hayden of the Gold Coast Road Policing Unit said one of the reasons for the higher road toll last year was good economic conditions — more people went out and bought motorbikes.