February 19, 2017
A spate of serious crashes in the South Burnett recently has prompted the RACQ to issue a warning to local motorists to take more care behind the wheel.
There have been two fatalities on South Burnett roads since the start of the year, as well as numerous crashes which have required medevac flights to Brisbane hospitals by RACQ LifeFlight helicopters.
“This is a worrying number of crashes, and it’s certainly not something we would like to see become a trend,” RACQ spokesperson Lauren Ritchie said.
“During these recent incidents, three patients had to be cut free from their vehicles, which gives some indication of the level of damage sustained.
“Locals may think they know the roads but weather, time of day, speed, fatigue and distraction can all impact the drive, so it’s vital motorists drive to the conditions.”
RACQ LifeFlight’s Brent Chamberlain said the rising number of crashes in the South Burnett region was alarming.
“RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopters have been tasked to more than 300 missions from the South Burnett region in the last 13 months and many of those involving motor vehicle crashes are serious and life-threatening,” Mr Chamberlain said.
“Often with these cases, we see traumatic injuries that can seriously affect a person’s life from that day onwards. The crashes not only affect the patient and witnesses, but also the family and friends of those involved.
“We urge drivers to take every precaution to avoid becoming another road toll statistic.”
