North Queensland is facing another horror year of road trauma with a 47 per cent increase in road fatalities compared to the same period last year, and Central Queensland up 52 per cent.[1]
According to the latest data from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), 63 of Queensland’s 196 road crash victims were from Far North, Central and Northern regions which include Cairns, Townsville and Mackay.[2]
While TMR’s Queensland Road Crash Weekly Report paints a dismal picture of speeding, drunk and distracted drivers, leading Queensland-based compensation law firm Travis Schultz & Partners (TSP) points out that it only reports on behaviour and characteristics as possible contributing factors or causes in road crashes, but fails to list or attribute to crashes as a result of road conditions.
TSP Partner and Cairns Leader, Beth Rolton, is calling for more visible and transparent reporting of road deaths and hospitalisations linked to road conditions. Adding that while much attention is given to driver’s attitudes and behaviours, environmental factors play a significant and often overlooked role in contributing to vehicle accidents.
“We know that two-thirds of road deaths occur in regional and remote areas, despite only one third of Australian’s living in these areas.[3] The reasons are varied but this tells us there’s a significant higher risk driving on regional roads, which are often loose, unsealed and potholed with less adequate lighting and fewer safety barriers.[4]
“As a personal injury law firm in North Queensland, we see just as many road injury and death cases as a result of environmental factors – such as the condition of the road – as we do an individual’s behaviour however these factors are not reported in TMR’s Road Crash Report,” says Ms Rolton.
One such case is TSP clients, 18-year-old Indy-Lee Collins and brother Mitchell Collins from Atherton Tablelands. Ms Collins experienced firsthand the impact poor road conditions can have when her mother, Jamielee Paterson, died this year in a multi-vehicle collision at a local Malanda intersection notorious for its hazardous conditions.
“My mum was only 43 years old when the car she was a passenger in collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Anderson Road and Lake Barrine Road,” says Ms Collins.
“Having visited the crash site, it’s hard to believe that intersection is considered safe. It’s in a 100 kilometre per hour zone, with overgrown grass verges and hills obstructing the view, offering little visibility of oncoming traffic. The speed limits are excessive through such windy, hilly, and steep terrain – especially dangerous when wet.
“We miss her every day, and I feel so scared about what’s out there for me now. I’ve lost so much. It’s shocking that the roads remain in the same condition following this accident, and heartbreaking that known hazards continue to go unchecked on such a dangerous road.
“I have placed a cross at the scene to serve as a reminder to all who drive by – slow down and stay alert. And to those that have the power to fix the roads – please make changes to improve safety for drivers before you sentence someone else to a life without a mother,” Ms Collins said.
Ms Rolton adds, “Rural roads are a hidden danger. There’s an urgent need to understand how poor road conditions are linked to the rising road death toll.
“We are calling on the Department of Transport and Main Roads to acknowledge and improve our local conditions, and by doing so, enhance our safety.
“With four months of the year to go, the road toll in North Queensland at 31 deaths is already on par with that of 2022 when the highest road toll in five years was recorded.[5] The latest statistics serve as a tragic reminder to focus on safety during the Australian Road Safety Foundation’s road safety month this September.”
The police report and investigation into Jamielee Paterson’s case are ongoing.
// Ends.
To learn more about Travis Schultz & Partners, visit www.schultzlaw.com.au
To learn more about Beth Rolton, visit: https://www.schultzlaw.com.au/meet-your-team/beth-rolton/
Media contact: Trudie Abel, Fresh PR & Marketing | 0408 119 443 | trudie@freshprm.com.au
About Travis Schultz & Partners
Travis Schultz & Partners (TSP) was established by founding Managing Partner, Travis Schultz in 2018, based on the guiding values of fairness, respect and compassion. The award-winning, nationally recognised compensation law firm has a team of more than 60, with offices in Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast and Cairns.
[1] Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Road Crash Weekly Report YTD 1 September 2024: https://cars.tmr.qld.gov.au/Static/documents/RoadCrashReport/Weekly/WeeklyReport_Latest.pdf
[2] Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Road Crash Weekly Report YTD 1 September 2024: https://cars.tmr.qld.gov.au/Static/documents/RoadCrashReport/Weekly/WeeklyReport_Latest.pdf
[3] BITRE. Road Trauma Australia 2022 Statistical Summary. Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/road_trauma_2022.pdf
[4] National Rural Health Alliance: https://www.drive.com.au/news/australias-poor-quality-roads-contribute-to-death-toll-government-report-finds/
[5] Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Road Crash Weekly Report YTD 1 September 2024: https://cars.tmr.qld.gov.au/Static/documents/RoadCrashReport/Weekly/WeeklyReport_Latest.pdf
