June 21, 2013
The school holidays have started badly on South Burnett roads with three road crashes occurring on Friday.
At 10:30am, two cars travelling from Nanango towards Kingaroy collided in wet conditions on the D’Aguilar Highway near Coolabunia after one slowed to turn right into Redmans Road.
Kingaroy Police Officer-In-Charge Senior Sergeant Duane Frank said the second vehicle struck the first vehicle from behind.
One of the vehicles was spun around by the impact and then skidded off the road into a ditch.
“No one was injured but they were very, very lucky,” Snr Sgt Frank said.
“It occurred in the 100km/h zone while there was a large volume of traffic on the road. There could easily have been a fatality.”
The second incident occurred at lunchtime at the corner of Henry and Drayton streets, Nanango, when a sedan and a 4WD collided
A 60-year-old Tingalpa woman was injured and transported to Kingaroy Hospital. Her condition is unknown. The driver of the vehicle, a 65-year-old Capalaba woman was not hurt.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 65-year-old Nanango woman, also escaped injury.
In the third accident, a pedestrian walking between Murgon and Cherbourg was struck by a vehicle about 7:30pm.
A man was transported to Kingaroy Hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
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Snr Sgt Frank said motorists should always obey speed limits, but urged them to be especially careful during the school holidays.
“The roads will be extremely busy and people must drive to the road conditions,” he said.
He said the recent increase in road crashes in the South Burnett had caused serious concern to local police.
“A lot of these crashes could have been easily avoided if drivers obeyed the rules,” he said.
Recent crashes had been caused by people disobeying stop and give way signs; disobeying red lights; driving too fast; unsafe overtaking; and poor behaviour at roundabouts.
Snr Sgt Frank said the Queensland road toll currently stood at 138, which was 16 more deaths than the same time last year, 28 more than in 2011 and 30 more than the same time in 2010.
In 2012, there were 59 fatalities as a result of crashes involving speeding drivers or riders within Queensland, representing 21 per cent of the road toll.
“That’s why police are urging motorists to slow down,” Snr Sgt Frank said. “Those 59 people would have still been alive today.”
He reminded people to watch out for the “Fatal Five”: Speeding; drink or drug driving; failing to wear a seatbelt; driving while tired; and distraction and inattention.
Snr Sgt Frank also urged South Burnett residents who were planning a vacation to check their home security, making sure all doors and windows were locked while they were absent, including garages and sheds.
