SOUTH Australian Police have expressed frustration about the state’s rising road toll, sparking an appeal for all road users to take responsibility for their actions.
As of yesterday afternoon, 30 people have already died on South Australian roads in 2019, including four people in the Limestone Coast region.
The most recent fatal accident in South East was just two weeks ago when two cars collided head-on near Lucindale, killing a retired couple from Kingston.
Officer in charge of the Traffic Support Branch, Superintendent Bob Gray said every one of the 30 road deaths in 2019 were avoidable.
“The one consistent theme we are seeing is that drivers, riders and road users are making fatal errors in judgement,” Supt Gray said.
“Those fatal errors have had terrible consequences – sometimes for themselves, sometimes for other road users, but always for an extended network of families, friends and colleagues along with the emergency responders.”
He said the only way to stop the mounting road toll is for all road users to take action and responsibility.
“This is not just about policing,” Supt Gray said.
“Drivers and riders need to take responsibility for their actions – drive to the speed limit, do their seatbelt up, pay attention to the road conditions and other road users.”
Supt Gray said this year’s road toll reflects the wider community – men and women ranging in age from 18 to 81, pedestrians, motorbike riders, drivers and passengers.
“Complacency is a major problem – of the 30 people who have died on our roads this year, 25 of those are aged over 30 and seven are aged over 70,” he said.
“These are people who have been driving for years and often are using roads close to their homes.
“People need to take responsibility for their behavior on the road network because they dictate if they get home safely or not.”
He warned that police will take a strong enforcement approach to offences linked with the so-called ‘Fatal Five’.
