While road safety has dramatically improved for road users in urban areas of Queensland in recent years, the level of improvement in the state’s rural areas has been far less promising. Saving lives on rural roads is perhaps the greatest road safety challenge facing governments. And it is a demanding challenge. Rural road safety is fundamentally different to urban road safety. Many of the programs that work well in urban areas do not transfer well to rural settings. The roads are different, the culture and attitudes of the people are different and there is less assistance for motorists when something goes wrong. The driving hazards on rural roads include animal strikes, road trains and large combination Alcohol is the most commonly used drug in Australia with a number of short-term and long-term risks associated with its use. One of these risks is the effect of alcohol on drivers and the subsequent effect on crash risk. The cost of alcohol related crashes are significant, with these crashes costing Australians approximately $3.4 billion in 1998 and 1999. Approximately 13 per cent of drink drivers in Queensland are repeat drink drivers. This means that they commit at least two drink driving offences within a five year period. Although drink driving fatalities have declined dramatically in Queensland since 1982, this has faltered since the late 1990’s. The term drink driving refers to a range of offences outlined in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (TO(RUM) Act). These offences include operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor, failing to supply a breath or blood specimen and failing to supply a roadside test. The TO(RUM) Act provides the minimum and maximum penalties that a magistrate may give a person who has been convicted of a drink driving offence. Queensland’s maximum penalties are amongst the toughest in Australia, although it appears rare that a magistrate will impose the maximum penalty. Repeat drink drivers are more likely to be involved in a crash when compared with first time offenders. However, it is difficult to quantify the number of crashes related to repeat drink driving. This is because it is difficult to identify separately the drivers who were originally disqualified for a drink driving offence. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting