Brisbane Line October 2010 - Road Trauma is Breaking the Nation

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Six die in grim weekend on Queensland roads

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

3 September 2012

Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

Another sad and tragic outcome on the roads.  More bleats and whines extolling people to ' drive safely ' is tantamount to 'p%ssing into the wind' I am afraid.

What will reduce the trauma is putting in place safe transport options.  Particularly getting bulk freight back on rail, and making public transport attractive.  Services have to be frequent and operate to a wide span of hours, the present fares need an urgent review.

If any other transport mode had the horrific history of death, injury and mayhem that road transport has it would be shut down overnight.

Governments need to act to put in place safe and sustainable transport systems.  Rail is 100 times safer than roads, is much more cost efficient and environmentally sustainable.

It is negligent to not act now and stop the carnage.  Rather than closing rail lines services need expansion!

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

13th August 2012

Re: Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

Is there going to be a response to this?  Probably not, more bleats about 'driving safely' and ' we need safe roads'.

There are no safe roads .... get a grip.

Couriermail --> Spate of fatal crashes on Queensland roads 'the worst in memory'

Time to ramp up rail!

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

On 12/08/2012 5:22 AM, RAIL Back On Track Admin wrote:

Europe, but still interesting stats

http://www.allianz-pro-schiene.de/eng/press/press-releases/2011/41-injury-figures-fatality-risk-in-cars-is-67-times-greater-than-trains/

...Berlin. Right across Europe, travelling by train is safer than by car. In Germany, the railways have also retained their top position as the safest transport mode. According to Pro-Rail Alliance calculations, the overall average fatality risk for the period from 2004 to 2010 in Germany was 67 times greater for car passengers that rail travellers. For non-fatal injuries the risk is even higher: per person-kilometre, the probability of being involved in an accident is 100 times greater for every car journey, compared with a journey by train. Although buses are considerably better than cars when it comes to safety, the gap between bus and train is still appreciable: the fatality risk for bus passengers is around five times higher in comparison with trains, and the risk of injury is around 28 times greater. "Trains are by far the safest transport mode," said the managing director of the German Pro-Rail Alliance, Dirk Flege, at a joint press conference with the auto club ACV in Berlin on Tuesday. The fact eight people were killed in a severe train accident in Hordorf in early 2011 does not affect this trend ...

Sent to all outlets:

12th August 2012

Murder, bloody murder!

Greetings,

The situation on the roads is worse than ever.  Horrific these past few days. We need as a community to provide people with options other than the gauntlet of death and chaos on the roads.

This means getting bulk freight back on to rail.  Re-establishing more and better Interurban and long distance passenger rail services.

One member has commented* at RAIL Back On Track:

What the hell is going on that all this raises is grief at the loss of life, and reminders to drive safe, but not a serious conversation about how to try and fix this mess (other than the occasional polly talking about building safer roads)? It's absolutely appalling.

* http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg106815#msg106815

The cost of road trauma in terms of the social and impacts on the health system is becoming unmanageable.
Road trauma is breaking the nation  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

There also needs to be some urgent action taken with vehicle drivers that continue to flaunt the rules at level crossings, and bridge strikes.

Time to get the gloves off, put them off the road.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

It seems that Governments are simply not able to address road trauma in meaningful way.  More b triples are planned for the roads ...

Road safety campaigns are not having the desired effects.

There is a lack of emphasis on the tremendous injury toll, fatalities are only one outcome from road trauma.  A fall in fatalities is a good thing, but unless the full spectrum of the consequences is considered much is hidden from proper analysis.

[ozbob]

http://www.anzpaa.org.au/current-initiatives/australian-road-safety-campaign/road-toll-statistics

Road Toll Statistics

Below are some statistics regarding road deaths in Australia.

    In 2009, 1507 people lost their lives in road crashes (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2010).
    On average, four people are killed and 80 are seriously injured every day on Australia's roads. Almost someone every one has, at some stage been affected by a road crash (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2010).
    There have been 1,259 road deaths in 2010 to the end of November (Department of Infrastructure and Transport 2010).
    The annual national road toll accounts for around 1500 deaths and over 30,000 serious injuries on our roads each year, costing an estimated $27bn annually (Australian Transport Council, 2010).
    Recent trends vary by age group: the number of deaths in the 40–59 years age group is increasing with some consistency in caparison, deaths in the 17-25 years age group are trending down, as are deaths of road users ages above 60 years (Department of Infrastructure and Transport 2010).
    Australia currently ranks 12th out of 29 OECD countries in terms of road fatalities per capita (Australian Transport Council, 2010).
    Our population fatality rate stands at 6.8 [road] deaths per 100,000 people (Australian Transport Council, 2010).
    Between 2008 and 2009 the number of people killed per year per 100 000 resident Australian population rose from 6.7 to 6.9 (Department of Infrastructure and Transport, 2010).
    Between 2004 and 2009, the number of fatal single-vehicle crashes on Australian roads increased by five per cent despite a five per cent decrease in total road deaths (Australian Transport Council, 2010).
    Motorcycle riders make up 22 per cent of serious casualties, yet motorcycle usage accounts for less than one per cent of vehicle-kilometres travelled. Between 2000 and 2009 the number of motorcyclist deaths increased by 18 per cent (Australian Transport Council, 2010).
    People aged 17 to 25 years make up 25 per cent of drivers killed or seriously injured, but represent only 16 per cent of the adult population (Australian Transport Council, 2010).

Statistics obtained from:

    Australian Transport Council. 2010. National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020: draft for consultation. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/national_road_safety_strategy/index.aspx. Canberra, ACT: Australian Transport Council.
    Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. 2010. Road Deaths Australia: 2009 Statistical Summary. http://www.bitre.gov.au/publications/69/Files/Ann_Road_Deaths.pdf. Canberra, ACT: Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.

Note this grim statistic

For every death there is at least [30,000/1500] 20 serious injuries on average ...

[ozbob]

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Transport-and-road-statistics/Road-safety-statistics.aspx

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland drivers dicing with death at stop signs

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail click here!

Rising road toll blamed on low road safety funding in Queensland Budget

Rising road toll blamed on low road safety funding in Queensland Budget

    by: Robyn Ironside
    From: The Courier-Mail
    September 11, 2012 12:00AM

DWINDLING road safety funding is being blamed for Queensland's rising road toll, with no budget boost in the pipeline.

Last year funding for road safety campaigns was slashed from $8.5 million to $6.4 million. The Newman Government has confirmed it will not increase the budget - but it will try to stretch it further.

It comes as the road toll heads for a three-year high, with 188 lives already lost this year - eight more than at the same time last year, and 22 greater than in 2010.

At the same time, the number of fatalities related to speed has soared in the past 12 months (up 30 per cent) along with fatigue-related crashes (up 33 per cent).

The number of people killed as a result of motorists disobeying traffic lights has skyrocketed by 233 per cent.

Transport Minister Scott Emerson confirmed yesterday a budget of $6.4 million would be maintained, but his department revealed it would be stretched across other areas including level-crossing safety, boating and "emergencies".

"Transport safety is an important area for the Newman Government, particularly ahead of the Christmas holiday period," Mr Emerson said.

His comments came less than a year after he criticised the previous government for slashing its spending on road safety campaigns.

Bobbie Henry from Citizens Against Road Slaughter said the failure to increase spending on road safety at a time when more people were dying on the roads showed a "lack of responsibility and a lack of caring" by the Government.

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
16/09/2012

Older driver report public next month

Keeping older drivers safer on Queensland roads will be the focus of an up-coming report which will be open for public comment next month.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the report from an expert committee was due in early October and would be open for public feedback.

"There have been a number of studies into drivers over the age of 75 and I've asked the panel to finalise their recommendations to present to the government and people of Queensland," Mr Emerson said.

"The panel includes members from groups representing seniors, Police, medical experts, motoring groups, academics and the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"Older drivers are not over represented in crash statistics with 4.4 per cent of licence holders over the age of 75 being involved in about 2.7 per cent of all crashes.

"However there are 160,000 license holders over the age of 75 in Queensland and as that number increases it is important that we continue to ensure our laws and guidelines are best practice."

The expert panel will look at a number of reports, including recommendations from respected Queensland organisations RACQ and CARRS-Q.

"For example, the older driver committee is looking at the involvement of family members in the decision making process," Mr Emerson said.

"I personally support and encourage family members to contact their doctor if they are concerned about a senior relative's ability to drive, but the decision should rest with the driver and their medical specialists."

Some of the other recommendation being considered by the panel include:

-Better information for GPs and doctors to suggest driving restrictions.

-More education awareness for older drivers

-Annual medical checks and the age of requiring a medical certificate.

-Reporting of medical conditions.

-Legal protection for professions such as occupational therapists, optometrists or physiotherapists to report older drivers.

The finding of a report into the Q-SAFE driver license tests was released last month with public comment due to close today.

The report is available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au

[ENDS] 16 September 2012

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

16th September 2012

Free public transport for Seniors

Greetings,

Time we followed the lead of some other states.  Free public transport for Seniors off peak, weekends and public holidays should be introduced throughout Queensland on the TransLink and QConnect network.

Peak times normal concession fares.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
16/09/2012

Older driver report public next month

Keeping older drivers safer on Queensland roads will be the focus of an up-coming report which will be open for public comment next month.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the report from an expert committee was due in early October and would be open for public feedback.

"There have been a number of studies into drivers over the age of 75 and I've asked the panel to finalise their recommendations to present to the government and people of Queensland," Mr Emerson said.

"The panel includes members from groups representing seniors, Police, medical experts, motoring groups, academics and the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

"Older drivers are not over represented in crash statistics with 4.4 per cent of licence holders over the age of 75 being involved in about 2.7 per cent of all crashes.

"However there are 160,000 license holders over the age of 75 in Queensland and as that number increases it is important that we continue to ensure our laws and guidelines are best practice."

The expert panel will look at a number of reports, including recommendations from respected Queensland organisations RACQ and CARRS-Q.

"For example, the older driver committee is looking at the involvement of family members in the decision making process," Mr Emerson said.

"I personally support and encourage family members to contact their doctor if they are concerned about a senior relative's ability to drive, but the decision should rest with the driver and their medical specialists."

Some of the other recommendation being considered by the panel include:

-Better information for GPs and doctors to suggest driving restrictions.

-More education awareness for older drivers

-Annual medical checks and the age of requiring a medical certificate.

-Reporting of medical conditions.

-Legal protection for professions such as occupational therapists, optometrists or physiotherapists to report older drivers.

The finding of a report into the Q-SAFE driver license tests was released last month with public comment due to close today.

The report is available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au

[ENDS] 16 September 2012

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Slow down for school holiday traffic

... nspector Ray Rohweder of the Queensland Police said the road toll was already at 196, eight more than this time last year ...

196 fatalities, means on average 196 x 20 = 3920 serious injuries

Costs 196 x $2Million = $392 million

Injuries cost 3920 x $200K = $784 million

Horrific in social impacts and in blunt financial terms ...

[ozbob]

Minister for Police and Community Safety
The Honourable Jack Dempsey

A push for increased road safety as road toll tips over 200

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Queensland's road toll reached 201 yesterday afternoon - 13 more casualties than the same time last year.

With the State just four days into the September school holidays, Police Minister Jack Dempsey said motorists must remain vigilant while driving.

"The sad truth is that the majority of fatal and injury traffic incidents could be avoided by acknowledging and avoiding the 'Fatal Four' - driving while fatigued, speeding, failing to wear a seat belt and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol," Mr Dempsey said.

"Another concern finding its way into the road toll mix is inattention with people taking their eyes off the road to use gadgets such as smart phones and GPS navigation systems.

"Just one second's inattention could see drivers on the wrong side of the road, up the back of stationary traffic or worse, careering through a busy pedestrian crossing."

Mr Dempsey also urged motorists to be aware that school holidays meant a lot more children on our roads.

"Drivers need to be aware of their surroundings. For example, children playing on the footpath could easily run out on to the road chasing a ball or each other," he said.

"I am also urging families travelling with little ones take a little extra time to make sure their children are buckled up properly and child locks are activated on the rear doors."

Acting Chief Superintendent, State Traffic Support Branch Andy Morrow was disappointed to see Queensland's road toll reach 201 today.

"It is unfortunate that we have more than 200 fatalities on the roads to remind us of basic road safety principles," Acting Chief Superintendent Morrow said.

"Every person, whether driving a car, riding a motorbike or simply crossing the road, should be aware of the conditions and activities around them and act accordingly – don't take unnecessary risks and obey the road rules.

"Police would like motorists to consider all the people who are affected by each traffic crash and the consequences it has on the community as well as themselves.

"Each person who dies on our roads has their own story, their own family, friends and future plans.  To lose all of this in the most tragic of circumstances affects everyone.

"Don't risk your life or the lives of others, comply with the road rules, take regular breaks and act safely on the road, but also be patient and tolerant."

[ENDS] 25 September 2012

==============

An important message  but one that would be improved by highlighting the massive injury toll as well ....

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Fatal crash closes Bruce Highway

[ozbob]

Twitter

QPS Media Unit ‏@QPSmedia

Five people have died in a serious traffic crash about 10km's north of Howard this afternoon.

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow  25 Sep

An important message --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg109688#msg109688 ... but would be improved by highlighting the massive injury toll as well @QPSmedia @TMRQld

====================

Twitter 25 Sep

QPS Media Unit ‏@QPSmedia

@Robert_Dow stay tuned...we're working on an info graphic highlighting just that.

===================

Twitter  25 Sep

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

@QPSmedia thanks.

[ozbob]

Twitter

QPS Media Unit ‏@QPSmedia

Five people have died in a serious traffic crash about 10km's north of Howard this afternoon.

http://mypolice.qld.gov.au/blog/2012/09/30/fatal-traffic-crash-howard/

Fatal traffic crash, Howard
September 30, 2012 at 5:17 pm

Five people have died in a serious traffic crash about 10km's north of Howard this afternoon.

Initial information suggests a truck and car collided around 3.30pm on the Bruce Highway near Nulla Flat Creek.

The Bruce Highway is expected to be closed for several hours, motorist are advised to avoid the area.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

There is no further information available at this time.

[Stillwater]

The media statement re 'Wheels on Steel' (seeking to get more Bruce Highway freight onto rail) might be a good answer to this tragedy.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Five dead in horror Bruce Highway crash south of Childers

... Queensland's road toll rose to 209 deaths overnight, compared with 194 for the same period last year ...

[ozbob]

The media statement re 'Wheels on Steel' (seeking to get more Bruce Highway freight onto rail) might be a good answer to this tragedy.

Media release 30th September 2012

SEQ: North Coast Line – Duplicate NCL or risk slower Queensland economy

RAIL Back On Track (http://backontrack.org), a web-based community support group for rail and public transport and an advocate for public transport passengers, says Queensland risks a slower economic recovery without joint federal-state cooperation to fund the $2.2 billion duplication of the North Coast Line (NCL) to Nambour, and additional track straightening to Maryborough.

Robert Dow, Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"The notion of separate consideration of funding for roads versus rail when it comes to the national transport task has been relegated to history, a fact even acknowledged by a Queensland peak motoring body. The RACQ recognises that duplication of the NCL to Nambour will assist motorists by relieving pressure on the Bruce Highway (1).  Yet the current and former Queensland governments have ceased strategic thinking about rail track investment supporting freight, along the most important transport corridor in the state, since the sell-off of QR National."

"Sensible logistics thinking says that investment should flow to the transport mode that best achieves transport efficiency."

"That is perhaps best summed up by this quote from the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, when he said: 'One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner.'  Economic Stimulus Plan; A progress report (2011, p1)."

"RAIL Back On Track agrees with Mr Albanese and seeks the support of communities from Rockhampton to Brisbane for a 'Wheels on Steel' campaign to get more freight on a rail track that needs to be vastly improved, especially south of Nambour, where there is hopeless congestion on road and rail links.  The answer can't be more lanes on the Bruce Highway between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane.  Rather, it lies in an acute examination of improved rail freight efficiency, with spin-off benefits for passenger rail, and that means track duplication to Nambour before 2031."

"Crucially, for the rail freight sector in Queensland, other states have passing loops for trains that are 1500m standard length, or longer, while the NCL single track has short passing loops, allowing for trains just 650m long.  Our freight forwarders must live with inefficiency and the relatively high freight rates that result," Mr Dow said.

Jeffrey Addison, Sunshine Coast region spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track said:

"For Queensland, the need to upgrade the Beerburrum-Nambour section of the NCL has been identified in many planning and policy documents, including the SEQ Regional Plan 2005-2026, the SEQ Infrastructure Plan and Program 2005-2026, the Draft TransLink Network Plan 2005, and the Rail Network Strategy for Queensland 2001-2011."

"Federally, it has also been identified by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Transport and Regional Services (the Neville Committee - 2007, p103)."

"The Neville Report (2007, p128) found that '..the greatest need for Australia is the reconstruction and realignment of the main freight networks.'"

"The NCL stretches 1668km from Brisbane to Cairns and, predominately, is a single track.  Short passing loops – that require freight trains half the length of long super-freighters operating in other states – increase costs for Queensland freight forwarders.  Increasingly, freight is being diverted to road.  This has consequences for road funding and safety, and the amenity of towns through which the Bruce Highway passes."

"The NCL system currently carries in excess of 11 million net tonnes of various products annually." (2).

"The NCL will provide economic benefits to the State by the extension of the rail duplication through the Sunshine Coast, and provide greater freight capacity and quicker transport times for both passengers and freight."

These benefits (cost savings, actually) were outlined in this QR Submission to Productivity Commission by QR Limited, dated 5 July 2006, (3). and aptly sub-titled: Review of the Economic Costs of Freight Infrastructure and Efficient Approaches to Transport Pricing.

The report stated that for an investment of $350 million (~$2012), in 'below rail' works, there would be savings of $500 million (~$2012).
Thus saving $150 million over 20 years. These savings are;

• Extraction of just over 850,000 tonnes of general freight/containerised traffic from road to rail on NCL markets.
• Road accident cost savings of Present Value (PV) $43 million over 20 years.
• Environmental gains valued at PV $23 million over 20 years.
• Road pavement / maintenance savings of PV $94 million over 20 years from reduced heavy truck movements.
• Benefits associated with better transit times, improved service reliability and improved service availability valued at PV $127 million over 20 years.
• Benefits to rail operators and customers valued at PV $143 million over 20 years.
• Potential reductions in rail freight costs in the range of 2% to 6% across NCL markets if gains to "above rail" operators are passed on to customers.
• An increase in GTKs (gross tonne kilometres) on the NCL associated with additional containerised traffic of 34% "over and above" underlying growth.

Mr Addison continued: "Advice to government states that the NCL is expected to have freight growth rates that exceed its capability, with freight growth at more than 3 per cent annually spilling onto the highway as heavy trucks. An under-investment in rail is contributing to Bruce Highway traffic congestion and compromising road safety.  The crash rate for the Bruce Highway is approximately 40 per cent higher than the average of all other major interstate highways, while the fatality rate is at the higher end of the range nationally."

"A report produced jointly by the relevant State and Commonwealth Government departments, the '2007 Brisbane-Cairns Corridor Strategy'(4), exposes the critical need for rail duplication to improve freight passenger services and relieve congestion on the NCL."

"This 2007 Strategy (4) identified seven major strategic issues - first and foremost being 'the efficiency and safety of passenger and freight movement in the section between Brisbane and Gympie'.  Another was 'the competitiveness of the NCL and its capacity to handle long-term growth in freight.'"

"In its analysis under Current Corridor Performance (p7), the strategy says: 'A major current impediment to the corridor's overall performance' is 'rail congestion between Brisbane and Nambour.'" (4).

"Table 3, summarises transport issues in regional centres and tells us (p13), with specific reference to Caboolture, Sunshine Coast and Gympie track sections that 'poor rail track alignment impedes efficient transit times.'" (4).

"Under the heading 'Short Term Priorities' (to 2015) (p19), it recommends to governments that they 'continue the current programme of road and rail works ... aimed at addressing rapid growth on the corridor between Brisbane and Nambour/Gympie.'" This is with reference to increasing rail freight capacity. (4).

"The 'Most Likely Future Scenario', (4, p14) predicts 'up to four per cent a year growth for rail freight'.  On the next page, the report states: 'If freight transport growth was sustained at more than three per cent a year, there is concern that current NCL infrastructure may not enable rail freight to grow at the same rate, thereby resulting in the freight growth over three per cent a year 'spilling over' to road transport.  We see that already happening now."

Non-Bulk Freight Growth, p107,
From Table A.3 Rail and Road expected average annual growth rates, 1999 to 2025. (5).

Corridor              By Rail  By Road
Sydney - Perth      4.4%  3.0%   HIGHEST FREIGHT GROWTH
Brisbane - Cairns   4.2%  4.0%   SECOND HIGHEST FREIGHT GROWTH

"Dr Phillip Laird, of the University of Wollongong NSW, said in a paper presented to the 31st Australian Transport Research Forum: 'The Brisbane-Cairns corridor is a major contributor to Queensland's economic activity.'"

"The Queensland NCL plays an important role in moving freight and passengers within the corridor, and now moves more non-bulk freight (over 1.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa)) than either the Sydney-Melbourne corridor (1 mtpa by rail as against 11 mtpa by line haul road) or the Sydney-Brisbane corridor (1 mtpa by rail as against over 6 mtpa by line haul road)."

"As noted by the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Transport and Regional Services (the Neville Committee - 2007, p103), a submission by the Railway Technical Society of Australasia (RTSA) also indicated that there is a 'demonstrable need to expedite Caboolture-Landsborough duplication and re-alignment and to start planning for other rail deviations and bridges... on the Brisbane–Townsville route.'"

"The Neville Report (2007, p128) also found that '... the greatest need for Australia is the reconstruction and realignment of the main freight networks.  This would: allow faster speeds and greater axle loads; clear the way for longer trains and double stacked containers; make it possible to reduce the steepness of grades, straighten lines and remove loops; and allow for the elimination of many level crossings.'"

Mr Addison asked: "Why is this avalanche of advice being ignored? It is time for the state and federal government to heed the advice and fund the NCL duplication and freight capacity improvement works."

In summation, Mr Addison said: "Today the single track bottleneck at Beerburrum, and the predominant single track with short crossing loops for the 1668km up to Cairns, stands out as a stark reminder of the failure of federal and state government policy and their joint lack of commitment to funding and construction of Queensland's rail lifeline."

"The NCL remains mostly single track bottlenecks, in this the 21st century. A monumental transport failure that requires immediate action."

Contacts:

Jeff Addison
Sunshine Coast Region Spokesperson for RAIL Back On Track

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

References:

1. Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/86150/RACQ_Motoring_Matters_V5.pdf (p8, bottom 3rd column)

2. http://www.queenslandrail.com.au/NetworkServices/DownloadsandRailSystemMaps/Freight/Pages/NorthCoastLineSystem.aspx.

3. p94, QR Submission to Productivity Commission: http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/48577/sub053.pdf

4. http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/transport/publications/files/Bris_Cairns_Corridor_Strategy.pdf

5. Original Source: BTRE (2006), Demand Projections for Auslink Non-Urban Corridors: Methodology and Projections, Working Paper 66, Table 2.16.

[Fares_Fair]

Article: Queensland smash 'worst' police have seen

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8541068/queensland-smash-worst-police-have-seen

By Alys Francis, with AAP

Police say a head-on crash that killed five people from the same family on a highway in eastern Queensland is one of the worst they have ever seen.

The five relatives were in a four-wheel drive when it crashed head-on into a semi-trailer at around 3.30pm (AEST) on Sunday near Nulla Flat Creek on the Bruce Highway.

Police have confirmed a 65-year-old man and 62-year-old woman from Forest Lake, along with a 74-year-old man and two women, aged 62 and 97, from Hervey Bay were killed.

All five were part of the same extended family, a police spokesman told AAP.

The truck driver survived the crash with injuries which are not life-threatening.

Speaking at a press conference, police said it was the worst incident local police and even hardened crash investigators had seen.

The forensic crash unit is investigating the collision but police said the car is so badly damaged that it would take some time to determine if a mechanical fault could have caused the crash.

Investigators will also look at whether a medical problem could have caused the driver to swerve.

The highway, which runs along Queensland's coast from Brisbane to Cairns, was closed for several hours after the crash.

[Fares_Fair]

The ABC news reported this morning this terrible tragedy as a collision with a B-Double semi-trailer on the Bruce Highway, near Childers.

These lives lost a possibly a direct result of lack of rail duplication along the North Coast Line ... up to Cairns.
Rail duplication costs us more than just construction costs.


"That is perhaps best summed up by this quote from the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, the Hon. Anthony Albanese MP, when he said:
'One 1500 metre freight train can carry the load of 100 semi-trailers, leaving our roads safer and our air cleaner.'  
Source: Economic Stimulus Plan; A progress report (2011, p1).

Prescient words.

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Older driver review open for feedback

Sunday, October 07, 2012

New recommendations aimed at keeping old drivers safe are open for public comment.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the report by the Older Driver Safety Advisory Committee included 26 recommendations to be considered by the Newman Government.

"Before we consider those recommendations I want to hear the feedback of the community, particularly older drivers or those who may have friends or family members who are older drivers," Mr Emerson said.

"Unlike drivers aged between 16 and 24, drivers aged over 75 aren't over-represented in crash statistics – about 2.7 per cent of crashes involve older drivers who hold 4.4 per cent of Queensland licenses.

"However with an ageing population and 160,000 license holders over the age of 75, it's important that we continue to review safety.

"Independence and mobility are important to many elderly people, therefore I want to support the safety of those drivers and all road users."

The report recommends maintaining the current five-year driver licence option for older drivers but renewing medical certificates annually.

Other recommendations include information for GPs and optometrists to help them better understand medical conditions that impact on driving ability, and reviewing speed limit criteria to take account of the ageing driver population.

"Some of the recommendations published are also pertinent to drivers of all ages, such as undertaking voluntary hazard-perception testing and buying vehicles with high safety ratings," Mr Emerson said.

The report will be open for public comment for one month.

To read the report and the full 26 recommendation visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au

[ozbob]

Older driver safety

--> http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/Safety/Road-safety/Older-driver-safety.aspx


Recommendation 17

17.
Increase the availability of safe, alternative transport options for older people, and look at ways to improve the provision of information to older people about the community and public transport options available to them.

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/~/media/Safety/Road%20safety/Older%20driver%20safety/Odsac_older_driver_safety_recommendation_report.pdf
Page 16

[ozbob]

You will be able to provide feedback on the recommendations from Tuesday 9 November 2012 on the Get involved website.

[Stillwater]

Someone driving the Bruce Highway is 40 times more likely to be involved in a crash than the average crash rate of all other major highways.  Is the road 40 times worse than the average?  No.  It is worse than the average, but not 40 times more.  Across many stretches, it carries less traffic than other comparable roads, the Pacific Highway in NSW for example.  We are asking the Bruce to do too much of the heavy lifting when it comes to the freight task.  Put more freight onto rail.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Make doctors report older drivers: RACQ

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Family tragedy as fatal crash claims two adults and child in truck and car crash on Capricorn Highway, near Emerald

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Road trauma, deaths and injuries worsening under the Newman Government --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg110309#msg110309 ... @QPSmedia @TMRQld

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow ‏@Robert_Dow

Road trauma worsening under LNP State Government --> https://www.webcrash.transport.qld.gov.au/webcrash2/external/daupage/weekly/roadsense.pdf ...

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Report shows child deaths on the rise

[ozbob]

Media Release
Minister for Police and Community Safety
The Honourable Jack Dempsey

Drivers urged to take care during holidays

Police Minister Jack Dempsey has urged motorists to observe the Fatal Four, obey the road rules and practice road safety in the lead up to the busy holiday period.

Mr Dempsey said in two weeks Operation Q-Blitz, conducted by the Queensland Police Service (QPS), had netted more than 6,000 offences during operations targeting the Fatal Four.

"The most important part of being a driver is to ensure that everyone gets to their destination safely," Mr Dempsey said.

"I ask that all motorists obey all road rules and keep the Fatal Four in their mind - do not speed, do not drive tired, do not drive drunk and wear a seatbelt.

"This operation is aimed at ensuring everyone has a safe and happy holiday which is not ruined by a tragic crash."

Mr Dempsey said state-wide, week two saw more than 4,060 speed camera offences and almost 740 speeding offences detected without cameras.

Sixty-five traffic infringement notices were issued for seat belt offences, in addition to 110 notices for drivers using mobile phones and 24 relating to heavy vehicle fatigue offences.

Fifty-nine drink drivers and 30 drivers under the influence of drugs were detected as officers conducted more than 12,000 Random Breath and Drug Tests.

A further 996 traffic infringement notices were issued for a variety of other offences.

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart was disappointed by the high number of motorists who continued to risk the lives of others around them.

"We are trying to send a message to drivers ahead of the busy Christmas period that ignoring the fatal four factors can not only endanger your life, but the lives of passengers and other road users," Commissioner Stewart said.

"We do not want to see another fatality this year, but the reality is while drivers continue to take these unnecessary risks we will continue to see lives lost on our roads unnecessarily.

"I am asking motorists to slow down, wear their seatbelts, not drink and drive, and not drive tired – they are four things we can do that can save lives.

"If you are going to be drinking at an event, designate a driver before or take a taxi home. It is that simple."

Commissioner Stewart said that 248 precious lives had already been lost this year, 17 more than the same time last year.

The week two results follow on from the more than 4,000 traffic offences detected in week one after the operation was launched on November 1.

Operation Q-Blitz, which was the first police operation named by social media followers, will continue across the state until November 30.

[ENDS] 20 November 2012

[ozbob]

Horrific crashes, 5 fatalities in each:

1. Queensland: Brisbanetimes --> Friends and young parents among 5 killed in Gold Coast crash

2. Victoria: Melbourne Age --> Five killed in highway horror crash

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

9th December 2012

Road trauma is worsening

Greetings,

More horrific road crashes nationwide and locally -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg114503#msg114503

More and more people being forced on to dangerous roads. Road trauma, deaths and injuries just continues to worsen.
https://www.webcrash.transport.qld.gov.au/webcrash2/external/daupage/weekly/roadsense.pdf

For every death, there is on average at least 20 serious injuries the result of road trauma.  Horrific ... http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108526#msg108526

Road safety pleas are not working.  Time to get bulk freight back onto rail, give the community safe rail options.  Rail is >100 times safer than road --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108504#msg108504

In south-east Queensland public transport is failing.  The fare system for the go card has an anti-public transport pricing scheme.
See -->  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fare-review-for-translink-south-east-queensland-now.html  sorting out the fares would be a sensible thing to do, don't you think?

Heavy vehicles continue to run amok, hitting bridges, running level crossings.  Offenses need to be dealt with suspensions.  The fools should not be on the roads, full stop.

It is time to put in place better safe rail options for our community.


Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Media Release
Minister for Police and Community Safety
The Honourable Jack Dempsey

Road safety is everyone's business

Drivers are being warned of a new danger as Queenslanders and police prepare for the Christmas holiday period; one of the worst times of the year for serious road crashes and deaths.

Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the Fatal Four would now become the Fatal Five after inattention was officially added to this year's Christmas Road Safety campaign.

Speeding, drink driving, not wearing a seatbelt and driving while fatigued make up the rest of the Fatal Five.

"Too many Queensland drivers are being distracted while on the road by things like using a mobile phone, complex sound systems, on-board DVD and satellite navigation," Mr Dempsey said.

"In 2011, 15% of people taken to hospital after a car crash were in a crash caused by inattention.

"Between 1 January 2010 and 31 July 2012 more than 96,000 driver distraction offences were recorded in Queensland.

"After a horror weekend on the state's roads, I ask that Queenslanders keep the Fatal Five in their minds as they travel this Christmas.

"We all want nothing more than for everyone to arrive at their destinations safely.  No phone call or song is worth the lives of you or your loved ones."

Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said that his officers will be out in force over the Christmas holiday period.

"The community's safety is our priority and police will continue to target drivers who break the law," Commissioner Stewart said.

"Over this period, police will be deployed across the state and will use covert and marked mobile speed cameras, marked and unmarked police patrols, fixed speed cameras, hand-held speed detection devices and the automatic number plate recognition system.

"Two hundred and sixty five people have died on the state's roads so far this year and we, as a community, need to take action to stop this carnage. Police cannot do this without the support of every road user.

"Let me be clear; if you speed, drink drive, don't wear a seatbelt, do not pay attention or drive while tired, you will not only be caught by police, but you risk your life and the life of every other road user, and that is just not acceptable.

"My message is simple; stop and think about what your family would do without you this Christmas and every Christmas to come, before you take risks on the road."

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) Commissioner Lee Johnson said firefighters are turning out to jobs on Queensland roads, everyday, which could have easily been avoided.

"Each year firefighters witness a number of deaths which would not have happened if people chose to slow down or not drive through floodwaters," Mr Johnson said.

"Firefighters across the State responded to 767 road traffic crashes last Christmas school holidays."

Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) Commissioner Russell Bowles said that paramedics experienced trauma the same as any member of the public when they attend incidents involving vehicles.

"Paramedics responded to 1,309 road traffic incidents and transported a total of 1,648 patients to hospital last Christmas school holiday period," Mr Bowles said.

"There is never a good time for deadly crashes, but perhaps the worst time is at this time of year, when Christmas would serve as a constant reminder year after year."

[ENDS] 11 December 2012

[ozbob]

Twitter

Brisbane Times ‏@brisbanetimes

Three men hospitalised and another may have died in a crash on the Western Freeway this afternoon. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/western-freeway-blocked-by-crash-20121211-2b7k8.html#ixzz2EirMnP99 ...

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

12th December 2012

Re: Road trauma is worsening

Greetings,

Mayhem, death  and trauma continues on the basket case road network.  Time to get real folks.

Bridge strike again last evening.  Put these fools off the roads!

Road trauma is breaking the nation   -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

Transport policy is seriously failing.

Sadly,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

9th December 2012

Road trauma is worsening

Greetings,

More horrific road crashes nationwide and locally -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg114503#msg114503

More and more people being forced on to dangerous roads. Road trauma, deaths and injuries just continues to worsen.
https://www.webcrash.transport.qld.gov.au/webcrash2/external/daupage/weekly/roadsense.pdf

For every death, there is on average at least 20 serious injuries the result of road trauma.  Horrific ... http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108526#msg108526

Road safety pleas are not working.  Time to get bulk freight back onto rail, give the community safe rail options.  Rail is >100 times safer than road --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108504#msg108504

In south-east Queensland public transport is failing.  The fare system for the go card has an anti-public transport pricing scheme.
See -->  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fare-review-for-translink-south-east-queensland-now.html  sorting out the fares would be a sensible thing to do, don't you think?

Heavy vehicles continue to run amok, hitting bridges, running level crossings.  Offenses need to be dealt with suspensions.  The fools should not be on the roads, full stop.

It is time to put in place better safe rail options for our community.


Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[Jonno]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/its-time-we-stopped-living-with-roads-that-are-killing-us/2012/11/30/c7600776-399c-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_story.html

It's time we stopped living with roads that are killing us

By David Alpert

The Washington Post The day before Thanksgiving, Loudoun County elementary school principal Kathleen Hwang died. She was trying to cross a road in her Sterling neighborhood.

How should we react to such a tragedy? Certainly we should mourn the loss of a beloved member of the community. But can we also learn from this experience as part of an effort to stop it from happening again?

Instead, our natural reaction seems to be to try to figure out which individual was at fault. Was it Hwang? The 18-year-old driver of the SUV that hit her? Police often hew to the assumption that the pedestrian was responsible. In many crashes, there's no easy way to determine if the driver was distracted, so that possibility is rarely, if ever, a part of police and news reports. But the reported fact that Hwang was wearing earbuds — which might or might not have played a role — gave some people an easy way to dismiss the issue and move on.

Everyone — drivers and pedestrians — should pay attention on the road. But we know that many of us don't. Our roads shouldn't exact such a high price for our inevitable moments of carelessness, especially when the pedestrian pays the higher price for the error either way.

In her Nov. 27 Metro column on the accident ["In Loudoun, treasuring memories of a principal"], Petula Dvorak extolled the schoolchildren who responded to Hwang's death with simple grief and chastised all the "grown-ups" who instead "launched tirades" against earphones, SUVs or suburban culture.

Fortunately for all of us, however, these sorts of grown-ups were around to respond when injuries at factories or construction sites were commonplace or when people died in large numbers from lack of access to clean water. Throughout its history, the nation has continually examined preventable and common causes of death and worked to eliminate them.

But we have a very large blind spot. In 2008 and 2009, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of death for Americans ages 8 to 34, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis. We rightly demand explanations and corrective action after crashes of trains, boats and airplanes. Why not for cars, the most dangerous things in the lives of the children Hwang nurtured at her school?

Where does the blame rest? The sad fact is that we — our society as a whole — created this problem. That's because we relentlessly build communities that aren't safe to walk in.

In suburban Sheffield, England, in 2007, a report chronicled the lives of four generations in one family who all lived in the same area. When George was 8 in 1919, he was allowed to walk six miles to go fishing. His son Jack, 8 years old in 1950, could go to the woods a mile away. Vicky, 8 in 1979, was permitted to go only half a mile to a swimming pool, and Vicky's son Ed, 8 in 2007, is restricted to his own block, about 300 yards.

Many of our suburban children face the same restrictions. Their parents aren't necessarily being overprotective; they are responding to an environment that has grown increasingly dangerous. Not because of abductions, which are really vanishingly rare, but because from 1919 to today we designed communities around high-speed traffic, leaving no room for our children.

But we don't have to choose between imprisoning our children and the ability to get to work and the store. All that is required is to demand that our leaders design communities that work for walking as well as driving. We must be clear that we consider one road death to be too many and that, while it's not about blaming someone, the response to such fatalities must include a grown-up analysis of what is wrong with our road design.

Many communities have already learned ways to better design their roads. Intersections without signals (where crossing is legal but often dangerous) can get some full traffic lights or special pedestrian signals called "HAWKs." Roads can include medians with spaces for people to wait while crossing. New developments can avoid unnecessary curves and provide connections in more of a grid-like pattern, which give drivers more ways to traverse an area instead of funneling all traffic onto a few dangerous super-roads.

Our engineers design roads and intersections based on the goals set out for them. For too long, vehicular "level of service" has been the sole consideration. Creating "complete streets" that serve all users must become the default for every project. The price of continuing on our current path is tragedies like Hwang's and children without freedom, and that is a price too high.

But to make any progress, we also must be willing to blame ourselves. We killed Kathleen Hwang and 15-year-old Christina Morris-Ward, who died on her way to school in Germantown in October, and many more. To say "it was just an accident," or facilely pin the blame on one person, is excusing ourselves from our responsibilities. We owe it to these children and adults to do better.

The writer is the editor of the blog Greater Greater Washington.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Three dead on Queensland's roads

Sent to all outlets:

12th December 2012

Re: Road trauma is worsening

Greetings,

Mayhem, death  and trauma continues on the basket case road network.  Time to get real folks.

Bridge strike again last evening.  Put these fools off the roads!

Road trauma is breaking the nation   -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?action=articles;sa=view;article=3

Transport policy is seriously failing.

Sadly,

Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

Sent to all outlets:

9th December 2012

Road trauma is worsening

Greetings,

More horrific road crashes nationwide and locally -->  http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg114503#msg114503

More and more people being forced on to dangerous roads. Road trauma, deaths and injuries just continues to worsen.
https://www.webcrash.transport.qld.gov.au/webcrash2/external/daupage/weekly/roadsense.pdf

For every death, there is on average at least 20 serious injuries the result of road trauma.  Horrific ... http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108526#msg108526

Road safety pleas are not working.  Time to get bulk freight back onto rail, give the community safe rail options.  Rail is >100 times safer than road --> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=4652.msg108504#msg108504

In south-east Queensland public transport is failing.  The fare system for the go card has an anti-public transport pricing scheme.
See -->  http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/fare-review-for-translink-south-east-queensland-now.html  sorting out the fares would be a sensible thing to do, don't you think?

Heavy vehicles continue to run amok, hitting bridges, running level crossings.  Offenses need to be dealt with suspensions.  The fools should not be on the roads, full stop.

It is time to put in place better safe rail options for our community.


Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

20th December 2012

Enough, time for some real leadership and courage

Greetings,

The road mayhem worsens.  Road trauma out of control and now even more road rage incidents.  Our spineless governments, fixated on roads, cars and trucks have created this mayhem.

There is an attitude amongst the community that they are above normal society rules and behaviour.  Self centred, greedy negligent individuals, a society of rat-bags created by mediocre governments and bureaucracies and failing policy.

Look at the pathetic responses to continued level crossing breaches and bridge strikes?  PUT THE FOOLS OFF THE ROADS for life.  Maybe then the message might start to get through.

Start focussing on sustainable safe transport systems.  This is not code for more roads, no, start to use rail and public transport properly.

We are running out of time, obviously ...

Are there any leaders in Australia with vision, courage, leadership and the guts to bite the bullet?

The present road fixated mobs are clearly not up to it.

Best wishes
Robert

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track http://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

The Conversation --> Is modern transport making war on the human body?