The month of April was the deadliest on Tasmania’s roads since July 2009.
Eleven people were killed and 10 seriously injured on the state’s roads last month, bringing the total number of lives lost so far this year to 20.
“The 11 fatalities in April marks the first time Tasmania has recorded double-digit road deaths in a single month since July 2009, a terrible year when 13 lives were lost for that particular month and in a year when 63 people were killed on our roads,” said the Chair of the Road Safety Advisory Council, Scott Tilyard.
“It’s easy to gloss over the statistics, but I want everyone to think about this. In April alone, two people were killed in the north-west region, four people were killed in the north and five were killed in the south. These people were aged between 13 and 86. Nine of those killed were male and two were female.
“Eleven fatalities in one month is a tragic milestone that we do not want to reach and a powerful reminder that we cannot afford to become complacent,” added Tilyard.
Recent figures recorded by Tasmania Police during Operation Safe Arrival, conducted over the Easter period, highlight the ongoing disregard for road safety messages. During this time, four lives were lost on Tasmanian roads.
Police conducted 7,596 random alcohol tests and 135 drug tests, resulting in 27 drink driving offences and 47 positive drug tests. In addition, 591 people were caught speeding, 21 fines were issued for illegal mobile phone use while driving, and 12 offences were detected for failing to wear a seatbelt correctly.
“While many people are doing the right thing, our recent Easter operation shows that too many still make reckless choices behind the wheel,” said Tasmania Police Road Safety Coordinator, Inspector Justin Lawson.
“We saw similar results during our Christmas road safety operation. These behaviours not only put people’s own lives at risk — they endanger everyone else on the road.”
Tilyard said as part of the Safe System approach — the internationally recognised framework for road safety — governments at all levels, as owners of the road network, are working to make roads safer by designing, building and maintaining them to help prevent serious crashes and reduce the harm when mistakes happen. But even the best systems only work if every road user makes safe and responsible choices.
“We’re still seeing too many road users, across all age groups and experience levels make bad choices,” said Tilyard.
“Every risky decision — speeding, even if it’s only a few kilometres over the limit or driving too fast for the conditions, driving impaired, using a phone, not wearing a seatbelt or driving tired— undermines a safe system and not only puts lives at risk but continues to claim lives on our roads.”
As well as enforcing the law, first responders are often confronted with the harsh reality and aftermath of crashes.
“Emergency services frequently see the devastating consequences of crashes—lives lost or forever changed in an instant, affecting families, friends and communities,” said Inspector Lawson.
“Follow the road rules, drive to the conditions and don’t hesitate to call out unsafe driving or report dangerous behaviour – we all have a role to play in keeping our roads safe.”
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