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ABC News
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Road safety chief tells WA drivers to stop 'rationalising' rule breaking and risk taking
Western Australia's road safety chief says a major shift in individual behaviour is needed as the state's road toll nears a two-decade high. Twelve people have been killed on WA roads since July 3, bringing 2025's road toll to 112. Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said people needed to realise the choices they made behind the wheel could be the difference between a near miss and a fatal crash. "There are over 2.1 million licensed drivers on our roads and 2.1 million answers to the question of why this year's year-to-date road toll is the worst in 18 years," he said. Beloved postman Gary Cahill was one of the lives tragically lost on the roads this week. He was killed in a crash south of Bridgetown on Monday morning. The family of the 73-year-old grandfather paid tribute to him in a statement sent to the ABC. "The sudden and tragic loss of Gary has left a massive hole in our family and the wider Bridgetown community where he grew up," they said. "He was married to Karen for 49 years, always keeping her on her toes, the most fun-loving dad to Glen, Denise and Mandy, and Gramps to five grandchildren who absolutely adored him. "He was the milkman in town for more than 20 years and more recently the postie. "He loved caravan adventures with his brother Lindsay and tinkering away on his vintage cars and caravans." Tarryn Sanford launched Heart Hub South West after the tragic loss of her son in 2017. The not-for-profit organisation based in Collie, 187 kilometres south of Perth, offers professional counselling for those impacted by road trauma. Ms Sanford said there was a lack of similar services outside of the metropolitan area. "With every crash, every life lost or serious injury on our roads, we see more people reaching out. Sometimes it's just days after the loss, sometimes it's months or even decades." Ms Sanford said grief and trauma needed to be part of the broader road safety conversation. "Every crash doesn't just end one life, it changes the lives of everyone around them." The increased road deaths come despite a $32.5 million state government commitment to improve road safety in regional WA. The funding was one of a string of commitments from a snap road safety summit last year, called after a similar spike in road deaths to those seen in the past week. Centre for Road Safety Research director Teresa Senserrick said it was disheartening road fatality numbers had not improved. "It's very saddening that with all the efforts they are making, we're still at this point," she said. Professor Senserrick said typically there were more fatalities and injuries on regional roads due to the higher speeds. A Cook government spokesperson said $250 million had been invested in the Regional Road Safety program in the 2025–26 state budget. "The fatal five of fatigue, alcohol and drugs, speed, distraction and seatbelts are often playing a role in road fatalities," they said. "We urge all West Australians to think twice before getting behind the wheel."
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Mum's death prompts A30 junction turning ban trial in Dorset
A temporary ban on motorists driving across a junction on a dual carriageway will be introduced after four people, including a mother of three, died on the same stretch in just over four Avis, 30, died on the A30 between Yeovil and Sherborne at the crossroads with Marl Lane on 1 December 2022, after her Ford Focus was hit head-on by another senior coroner Rachael Griffin sent her concerns to Dorset Council about safety following other fatal crashes in 2020, 2022 and authority is set to introduce a ban on right turns, U-turns and motorists driving straight across the A30 from Marl Lane and Old Compton Road this summer, for a maximum of 18 months. The council is also conducting a feasibility study into the potential introduction of average speed cameras on the A30 to ensure motorists keep within its 60mph (96km/h) speed was introduced in October 2024, with the limit cut from 70mph (112km/h).The council said the measures for the road would need a "significant capital outlay" but that they "underscore [its] commitment to improving road safety on the A30"."This measure will be regularly reviewed for a maximum of 18 months, during which time we will consult on the possibility of making these measures permanent," it told Mrs Griffin. Sylwester Mielczarek, from Yeovil, admitted causing Ms Avis' death by careless driving and was given a 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Salisbury Crown Court in her death, Ms Avis' family described her as a "hard-working mum", who "lived her life by her three children"."Everything she did, she did for them," the family said in a statement. You can follow BBC Dorset on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
Paramedic frustrated as experts put focus on driver behaviour amid 10-year high in road deaths
The number of people who have lost their lives on Western Australia's roads has reached a grim height not seen in at least a decade — and authorities appear perplexed on what more they can proactively do to prevent more tragedy. After a tragic 24 hours on the roads last week, the state has recorded 108 deaths so far in 2025 — the highest year-to-date level since at least 2015. And in the past 24 hours, another two people have died, including a 35-year-old e-scooter rider who was hit by a truck in Bibra Lake on Tuesday morning. Around the same time, a 73-year-old died in a crash between his sedan and a ute near Bridgetown. What to do about the soaring road toll is something many now agree isn't just an issue for the politicians — but for drivers themselves. "We need to be conscious about the choices we make when we get behind the wheel," WA Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner said on Saturday. If it's not a lack of targeted policy aimed at preventing road deaths, then the crux of the issue is something much harder — fundamentally changing driver behaviour. It's something experts think can be done, albeit with a completely different way of thinking. University of Western Australia Centre for Road Safety Research Director Professor Teresa Senserrick said speed was the largest contributor to road crashes. "We commonly like to blame the roads or other factors … WA seems to be very accepting of fatigue as being risky, of alcohol and drugs in your system being risky — but not so much speed," she said. "Driving several kilometres over the speed limit, is like driving over 0.05 and it's like driving after you've been awake for about 19 hours." Ms Senserrick said while investment in safety cameras and regional roads would help prevent crashes, it comes down to the individual. She suggested more emphasis should be placed on strategies to better manage speed. "A very real factor in people speeding is that they feel pressure when the rest of the traffic seems to be going faster," Ms Senserrick said. "They feel that they will be a hazard if they stick to the speed limit because people will get aggressive around them and this is where it becomes the shared responsibility as individuals." The spate of road deaths has prompted emergency frontline responders to speak up as the rising number of fatal and serious crashes continues to take a lasting toll on them. St John WA special operations manager Deane Coxall said attending those scenes were a "really harrowing experience." "I think if road users experienced what we experienced, I think if they saw what we see in our daily business, I think they would understand the real impacts that these crashes have and what we carry with us." Mr Coxall said every fatal crash caused a ripple effect and it was extremely frustrating to see drivers continue to make poor decisions. "We see people that are distracted either by the radio or the mobile phone, we see people not wearing seatbelts. He's pleading for road users to change their behaviour to avoid further tragedies. "Slow down, particularly in inclement weather, you need to give yourself a little bit more space, a little more distance," he said. "Don't be distracted and if you're fatigued, stop, take a break [because] we need to stop these road accidents happening in the first place."
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
2 pedestrians killed in separate crashes on Hwy 21
BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WSAV) Two crashes in Beaufort County this weekend left two pedestrians dead. Both fatal collisions happened on Highway 21, going southbound towards Beaufort. Officials responded to both incidents in the early morning hours on Sunday. Just after midnight, two vehicles traveling south on Boundary Street near Broad River Boulevard, struck Rhonda Randall, a 35-year-old female from Beaufort in the roadway. The Beaufort County Coroner's office confirmed that Randall died on scene from blunt force injuries sustained from the automobile collision. Beaufort County Council to host Q&A meeting on ICE program Both drivers remained on scene and were reported uninjured. Just miles up the highway, Vick Smalls, a 50-year-old from Beaufort, was riding his bike southbound near Bruce K. Smalls drive. A vehicle traveling the same direction struck him. The Beaufort County Coroner's office confirmed that Smalls died on scene from blunt force injuries sustained from the automobile collision. The driver fled the scene, labeling the incident a hit and run. The South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) said it is unclear of what time Smalls was hit. They released the information and images below of what vehicle could have hit Smalls. Dan Byrne with Burton Fire, the responding fire agency on both scenes, said it was dark on arrival for both incidents. He said that it is a dangerous time for folks to be out and about walking or riding on the busy highway. 'Don't walk along the side. Don't try to cross the road, don't ride a bicycle, try to find another way to move if that's what you need to do,' said Byrne. 'People are traveling at a high rate of speed without being able to see what's in front of them. Those aren't roads you need to be walking on or trying to cross or walk in the median. Avoid those areas at night.' Man wanted for sex offender registry violation Byrne said if your only option is to walk or ride a bike, make sure to have reflective gear to avoid a possible collision. 'If you have to ride your bike on these major roads at night, or if you have to cross the roadway, wear bright clothing or carry a flashlight so people will see you,' said Byrne. 'Look left, right, left, right one more time just to make sure before you cross, because that seems to be the biggest issue…major roadways at night.' There was a second hit and run involving two vehicles in Bluffton this weekend as well. SCHP is investigating all three incidents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Daily Mail
05-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Five dead in horror day as road toll hits record high in one Australian state
Motorists have been urged to take care after five tragic deaths within 24 hours on West Australia roads. The state's road toll currently stands at 103 lives lost so far in 2025 - the highest figure in a decade and 10 more than this time last year. That figure will rise when the Road Safety Commission updates the road toll after this weekend. WA Police Road Policing Commander Mike Peters and the state's Road Safety Commissioner Adrian Warner are frustrated with the mounting death toll. They hope the latest tragedies will be a wake-up to motorists as the July school holidays get underway. ' That's five people that won't be at Christmas this year and five doors that had to be knocked on by our officers in the WA Police Force to make those absolutely tragic notifications,' Commissioner Peters said. 'I just want to reiterate speed, seatbelts, fatigue, alcohol and drugs and distraction remain to be over-represented in all these crashes. 'I'm not talking about the five [recent fatalities] specifically, but road deaths to this point are over-represented with those five factors.' Several fatal crashes across claimed five lives within 24 hours across WA late last week. The first incident claimed the life of a motorcyclist, 70 who collided with a tow truck at an intersection in Australind, in the state's south-west on Thursday afternoon. A man, 40, died after colliding with a truck towing three tailers at Mariginiup, north of Perth on Friday. Just 30 minutes later, a third motorist collided with a 51-year-old pedestrian, killing him instantly, in east Perth's Mundaring. Later on Friday morning, a fourth man died when his 4WD struck a tree and caught alight in Serpentine, in south-east Perth. Several hours later, a female passenger, 64 died after the vehicle she was travelling in vehicle struck a tree in Alfred Cove. 'It's incredibly frustrating that we have these sustained levels of deaths on our roads,' Mr Warner said. 'We need to be conscious about the risks on the road. We need to be conscious about the choices we make when we get behind the wheel.' West Australia's government has set a goal for the state to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on its roads by 50 to 70 per cent before 2030. 'Population growth and the economic growth, which is good for our community and good for WA, is putting upward pressure on the road toll,' Mr Warner said. Cameras with AI technology have been installed at more than 100 locations across Perth. These cameras are the most advanced in the country and are currently in a trial phase, the government has said. Fines generated by the cameras are expected to kick in by October. 'When we move into enforcement mode with these new cameras in a couple of months, we're expecting a big shift in behaviour,' Mr Warner said 'We don't want the money. We want people to change their behaviour and save lives.'
