FED: Road toll set to drop for 1998

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-1998
FED: Road toll set to drop for 1998

CANBERRA, Dec 18 AAP - The 1998 road toll looks set to be slightly lower than last year's,
with new figures showing the toll so far this year is eight down on the same period last year.

The Federal Office of Road Safety said in the year to date, 1,601 people died, 0.5 per cent
less than in the first 11 months of 1997.

In 1997, a total of 1,764 people were killed.

Federal Transport Minister John Anderson said driver fatigue was a major issue for the
holiday season as it caused 20 per cent of fatal road crashes.

"Reducing the terrible social and financial costs of road crashes is something to which all
Australians must be willing to contribute especially at this time of year," he said in a
statement.

"There were 81 deaths on Australian roads last Christmas.

"We are all sickened each festive season by the grisly spectacle of road crashes involving
entire families.

"Fatigue and alcohol are major causes of road death during this period, yet these crashes
are avoidable if drivers take a few simple precautions.

"The traditional Australian Christmas holiday should not begin with bundling the kids into
the family car at 3am, followed by a long drive to a holiday destination. We now know that
this is inviting disaster."

Mr Anderson said research confirmed drivers should not drive when they would normally be
asleep.

He said starting the trip after a full night's sleep and taking regular breaks on the
journey were the best way to avoid fatigue.

New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have combined on an action plan to tackle fatigue
along National Route 39, the 1,680km road corridor incorporating the Hume, Goulburn Valley,
Newell, Gore and Warrego highways between Melbourne and Brisbane.

Victorians were over-represented in crashes north of Coonabarabran and Queenslanders showed
the same trend south of Forbes.

A mix of surveillance, radio advertisements, billboards, signs, free beverage giveaways and
upgraded rest areas will be used, the first time separate efforts to combat fatigue have been
brought together under a single management structure.

Last month, 148 people died on Australia's roads, 13 fewer or 8.1 per cent less than in
November 1997.

The state tolls for November (with November 1997's tolls in brackets) were: New South Wales
30 (62), Victoria 48 (39), Queensland 33 (19), South Australia 10 (15), Western Australia 20
(22), Tasmania four (zero), Northern Territory three (two) and ACT zero (two).

AAP fh/mfh/bjm/jnb

KEYWORD: TOLL

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