Brisbane Line October 2010 - Road Trauma is Breaking the Nation

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Two killed in Sunshine Coast smash

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Government signs up to Fatality Free Friday

The Newman Government is supporting Fatality Free Friday (May 31) reinforcing the government's ongoing commitment to curb the rising road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson and Police and Community Safety Minister Jack Dempsey said Fatality Free Friday is another way to shine a spotlight on road safety and reduce the number of fatalities on our roads.

"Last year almost one in five fatalities occurred on a Friday in Queensland and already this year our road toll is 10 more than the same time last year," Mr Emerson said.

"While Fatality Free Friday aims for no road deaths on May 31, we want motorists to keep the message top of mind every time they get behind the wheel, 365 days a year, to reduce the carnage on our roads.

"For the month of May, we will be encouraging members of the public to sign an inflatable car which will be touring Queensland on a regional roadshow.

"The inflatable car will appear at TMR Customer Service Centres across the state in regional areas, from Toowoomba all the way up to Cairns and inland to Mt Isa."

Mr Emerson said this year's theme "don't gamble with your life at level crossings" supported Queensland Rail's current safety campaign.

"Running the gauntlet at these crossings is simply not worth the risk so I urge drivers to obey the signs and signals to avoid tragedy," he said.

In 2012, there were 400 reported near-misses at railway crossings across the Queensland Rail network, down from 472 the previous year.

Mr Dempsey encouraged everyone to heed the Fatal Five messages and get behind Fatality Free Friday.

"Let's all make a commitment to support a Fatality Free Friday on 31 May and to drive safely all year round," Mr Dempsey said.

"We have already had 99 fatalities on Queensland roads this year, 15 more than last year and I urge all Queenslanders to do their bit to stop that number from going up.

"Police will not tolerate those who blatantly disregard the road rules and the Fatal Five of drink driver, speeding, not wearing a seat belt, driving fatigued and driving distracted."

All Queenslanders are encouraged to make their pledge, either by signing one of the inflatable cars touring the state, or online at www.fatalityfreefriday.com

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Look into these victims' eyes and remember them when you're next driving

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2013/5/30/safety-first-ahead-of-fatality-free-friday

JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Minister for Police and Community Safety
The Honourable Jack Dempsey
Thursday, May 30, 2013

Safety first ahead of Fatality Free Friday

Motorists should be thinking safety first when they step into their car for tomorrow's Fatality Free Friday.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson and Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the month-long campaign for a pledge to drive carefully has highlighted road safety across the state.

"Last year, Fridays were the worst days for fatalities in Queensland, however there were no deaths on our state's roads on Fatality Free Friday," Mr Emerson said.

"This year we're aiming to match that in Queensland and for there to be no deaths on Australian roads.

"Earlier this month we launched the Fatality Free Friday campaign at Parliament House and sent off two life-sized inflatable cars for a tour of the state.

"Already this year 128 lives have been lost on Queensland roads, and many of those could have been prevented.

"This year's event also highlights the dangers at level crossings, so I urge all road users not to gamble with their lives when there's a train crossing – it's just not worth the risk."

Mr Dempsey said Fatality Free Friday was about ensuring all Queenslanders had a safe day on roads across the state.

"I ask that all drivers take care whenever they are behind the wheel and take note of the Fatal Five – do not drink drive, do not speed, wear a seat belt, do not drive distracted and do not drive fatigued," Mr Demspey said.

"Police are always on Queensland roads on the look-out for those who are driving recklessly or disregarding the road rules.

"The message is simple, if you do not obey the road rules, you will get caught."

The pledge cars covered almost 7,000 kilometres and visited 11 different regional centres throughout the state from Toowoomba up to Cairns, and inland to Mount Isa. Anyone who is yet to make the pledge can visit the official Fatality Free Friday event at the Queen Street Mall tomorrow morning or go to www.fatalityfreefriday.com.au (external site).

[ENDS] 31 May 2013

[ozbob]

Twitter

Brisbane Times ‏@brisbanetimes 12m

Two believed dead in horror collision with road train near Dalby that threw four from the car. http://bit.ly/12o7xgO

[ozbob]

 Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Tuesday, June 04, 2013

Action on road safety

Community engagement and education will be the cornerstone of the Newman Government's two-year $350 million plan to tackle a rising road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the 60-point Queensland Road Safety Action Plan would target Queensland's road toll, which had 17 more fatalities than the same time last year.

"This budget delivers the results of our 12-month review of road safety in Queensland and a plan to tackle the rising number of fatalities," Mr Emerson said.

"It includes $2 million a year for a community road safety fund to assist with developing solutions to local road safety issues, $1.6 million over three years to expand an alcohol and risk-related trauma injury awareness program and $480,000 over three years to educate Queensland high school students of the risks involved with vehicles.

"This budget spends a record $82 million on the Safer Roads Sooner program to fast-track the rollout of proven safety treatments such as wider centre lines, audio tactile line markings, safety barriers and improving intersections and line markings.

A further $2 million per year will also be spent on cycle safety treatments including line markings at higher-risk locations to reduce the potential for vehicle and bicycle conflict.

"We will also begin calling for nominations to review speed limits on up to 100 roads across Queensland."

The Road Safety Action Plan also includes other Newman Government priorities such as:

    On-going roll out of flashing lights at over 300 schools.
    A $19.8 million three-year marketing campaign to change driver behaviour toward the Fatal Five.
    Reforms to licensing for younger and older drivers, and motorcyclists.

The action plan is funded through the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the Camera Detected Offence Program (speed and red light cameras).

The Road Safety Action Plan will be available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au later today.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland drivers are slowing down, but road toll continues to go up

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Police lower speed tolerance

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

$2 million to tackle road toll

Community groups will be called upon to help tackle Queensland's rising road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said a $2 million grants program was now open for local groups to deliver local road safety projects.

"The Community Road Safety Grants Program is offering up to $25,000 to Queensland non-profit community groups and local governments," Mr Emerson said.

"We are launching this important program to take action at a local level as part of our plan to stop the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

"This is one of 60 action items identified as part of our Road Safety Action Plan, announced as part of this year's budget.

"These grants will provide local community groups with the funding they require to develop local solutions to local road safety issues."

The road toll currently sits at 157, which is 22 more fatalities than the same time last year.

The $350 million Action Plan aims to reduce the road toll through a number of initiatives, including targeting known blackspots, a review of speed limits and changes to learner, senior and motorcycle licensing.

Examples of projects that would be considered as part of the grants program include:

    using volunteer mentor drivers to assist those unable to access lessons
    late night bus services to reduce drink driving in young drivers
    education programs for the safe use of motorised mobility devices
    road accident injury rehabilitation such as generic rehabilitation systems, methods, programs, units or activities.

Applications for the first round of funding close on August 30, 2013 and more information about the program is available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au

[ENDS] 11 July 2013                       

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Qld road toll nearly doubles

[Jonno]

And if our roads are not killing or maiming they are increasing the risk of the rest of the population getti g lung-cancer or heart disease....second only to smoking!!

Long-term exposure to particulate air pollution boosts the risk of lung cancer, even at concentrations below the legal maximum, says a European study published on Wednesday.
A separate report says short-term surges in these particles or other gas pollutants in the air also increases the risk of heart failure.

European epidemiologists say they had found an unmistakeable link between lung cancer and air pollution by particulate matter.

The evidence comes from 17 high-quality investigations carried out among 312,000 people in nine European countries, according to the paper in The Lancet Oncology.

These earlier studies, which had already been published, were based on records of the health and lifestyle of 2095 people who died from lung cancer during an average 13-year monitoring period.
The team sourced environmental data around the individuals' home addresses, then calculated their exposure to levels of particulate matter - the gritty residual pollution from fossil-fuel-burning power stations, cars and factories.

Particulate matter falls into two categories: PM2.5, meaning particles measuring no more than 2.5 micrometres, 30 times smaller than a human hair, and the slightly coarser variant, PM10.
EU air quality standards limit PM10 exposure to a yearly average of 40 microgrammes per cubic metre, and PM2.5 exposure to 25 microgrammes per cubic metre.

The UN's World Health Organisation has guidelines recommending that annual exposure be limited to 20 microgrammes per cubic metre for PM10 and 10 microgrammes per cubic metre for PM2.5
Unexpectedly, the new study found a cancer risk at every level, and confirmed that the higher the level, the greater the risk.

The results took account of smoking, diet and occupation - which can skew the risk picture.
''We found no threshold below which there was no risk,'' said Ole Raaschou-Nielsen from the Danish Cancer Society Research Centre in Copenhagen. ''The more the worse, the less the better.''
Every increase of five microgrammes per cubic metre of PM2.5 drove the risk of lung cancer up by 18 per cent.

Every increase of 10 microgrammes per cubic metre of PM10 boosted risk by 22 per cent, including for adenocarcinoma, a type of lung cancer associated with non-smokers.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Interactive map of the world's road toll

[ozbob]

Owner Driver --> Operation Steel nets hundreds of infringements

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Road safety falls to real Queenslanders

Images of blood and broken bones will be replaced with the real stories of real people in a Newman Government campaign designed to target the Christmas road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the $2.2 million Join the Drive road safety campaign would shelve the tradition of gory advertisements designed to shock drivers, fulfilling a core election commitment to revitalise frontline services for families.

"Our research is showing that governments need to better engage road users, particularly younger drivers, and take a fresh, modern approach to our frontline campaigns," Mr Emerson said.

"Drivers are becoming desensitised with almost half of those surveyed unable to recall a safety messages in this shock-type advertising.

"Rather than throw money at advertising campaigns that are no longer working, as previous governments have done, we have taken an innovative, Australian-first approach to road safety.

"The Join the Drive campaign will ask Queenslanders for their stories and experiences when it comes to staying safe on our roads this Christmas."

Three production crews will be moving around the state from Monday, November 11 filming the feedback from Queenslanders.

Crews will start in Manly and Holland Park in Brisbane before moving to the Gold Coast, Logan, Cairns and Toowoomba by mid next week.

Real feedback gathered during the filming will be included in the final Christmas campaign to be released from mid-December.

"Our research is showing that drivers and the community want to take responsibility for road safety and we will provide a campaign to support this," Mr Emerson said.

"Importantly we are looking to engage through social media with young drivers who tend to be among the highest risk categories for a crash or fatality."

The campaign will be supported by social media including:

-          Website: www.qld.gov.au/jointhedrive

-          Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoinTheDrive

-          Twitter: www.twitter.com/JoinTheDrive

-          You Tube: www.youtube.com/JoinTheDrive

[ENDS] 7 November 2013

[#Metro]

What a relief! The word labor does't appear in these latest media releases 

[Fares_Fair]

Sunshine Coast forgotten again?
Perhaps we are just better safer drivers with no stories to share. 

(If only that was true)
Still, I sincerely hope it has a positive impact - as opposed to the negative ones that take lives.

[Jonno]

Just continues the myth that somehow with more advertising we are going to turn a transport system with barely trained operators and a white line for a fail safe system into a 'safe' transport mode!

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Queenslanders deliver road safety message

Queenslanders are speaking from their hearts about road safety this Christmas as part of the Newman Government's Join the Drive campaign.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the Join the Drive campaign received an overwhelming response as part of the Newman Government's $2.2 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan.

"As part of the Newman Government's commitment to revitalise frontline services, the Join the Drive campaign is working towards making Queensland's roads as safe as possible," Mr Emerson said.

"More than 420 interviews with everyday Queenslanders from around the state were recorded and we reached more than 25,000 people online.

"For the first time, it is the community driving the message about how individuals can improve safety on our roads instead of being dictated to by government.

"We hope these real stories featured on TV, radio and online ads over the Christmas period will spark a change in behaviour when it comes to the fatal five speeding, drink driving, seatbelts, driving tired and distractions such as mobile phones.

"Losing loved ones, or having them injured in road crashes is everyone's worst nightmare, particularly at Christmas, yet every year this is a scenario faced by too many families,

"Some of the people featured in these ads know this first hand."

Last Christmas (December 23 to January 3), six people were killed and a further 163 were hospitalised as a result of crashes on Queensland roads.

"We wanted to a fresh, modern approach to our frontline campaigns shying away from images of gore and broken bones that are no longer working," Mr Emerson said.

"This new campaign provides us all with the opportunity to be part of the solution.

"My message to Queenslanders this Christmas is join the drive, save lives and help make a difference this Christmas."

We continue to encourage people to leave a message, photo or video on the website (www.qld.gov.au/jointhedrive), or simply share and like posts with your friends.

To view the new advertisements visit https://www.youtube.com/JoinTheDrive

[ENDS] 15 December 2013

[Jonno]

Just continues the myth that somehow with more advertising we are going to turn a transport system with barely trained operators and a white line for a fail safe system into a 'safe' transport mode!

[BrizCommuter]

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/opinion-global-car-industry-the-last-major-technological-dinosaur-of-the-industrial-revolution/story-fnihsr9v-1226783543711
Not too sure of this the right thread, but related anyway. Interesting article.

[MaxHeadway]

But the problems for the car industry do not lie just in the third world. In affluent developed countries...

There's an error on their part: Singapore is an affluent developed country! Definitely not part of the third world.

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Swoop on trucks reveals hundreds of mechanical faults

[BrizCommuter]

Interesting news story!
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/fund-public-transport-labor-tells-abbott/story-fnihsfrf-1226797321364

[ozbob]

[Stillwater]

Re CM story about Labor calling on PM Tony Abbott to rethink his refusal to invest in urban public transport ^^ here is the report to which the newspaper article refers:

http://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/publications/files/Urban_Transport_Strategy_Paper_FINAL.pdf

At last (to quote the report):

"A further risk of Australian Government funding only major infrastructure projects, or certain types of infrastructure projects, include that states and territories may unduly focus on such projects at the expense of wider perspectives, or without fully considering alternative or smaller projects."

The states devise expensive transport solutions on the network of roads the federal government is prepared to fund when the money could be spent better on a more suitable transport network solution.

For example, the state government is planning further lanes for the Bruce Highway (largely federally-funded) rather than improve the NCL, which the Queensland Government would have to fund because Tony Abbott says he won't pay for an upgrade of what he calls the 'urban rail' Sunshine Coast Line.  The state will always devise solutions that the federal government can fund rather that looking at alternatives (and less costly) solutions that it would have to fund.

At the same time as Queensland decries the lack of funding for transport infrastructure from Canberra, it is prepared to skew project solutions (i.e. waste federal money) on more costly solutions than necessary.  In consideration of its own state-funded projects, it will design them to direct traffic onto the federally-funded road network, knowing those networks will fail, because the solution then becomes a federal, not a state, responsibility.

At last, the penny has dropped at Infrastructure Australia, if not in the PM's mind.

[#Metro]

Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as they spend their own.

The same issue again with BCC/TL arises - when you have split funding, all sorts of 'interesting' things happen. And there's game playing. I doubt if many of these projects are economically optimal given that they are under political control, they are designed to maximise marginal votes in an election not economic productivity.

By definition, it is unlikely that both will coincide. Lots of evidence to support this - just look at all the pork that gets doled out in marginal seats.


Land Tax should be looked at and GST. At the moment GST has to go through a churn process before being distributed to the states, and strings are attached to a portion of it - always strings. Land Tax is not applied to residential homes- hence a budget shortfall and off to the Australian Gov't. Local councils charge land tax though - rates -and perhaps a surtax would be the way to go here for this. I think implementing it though would be a fiscal near-death experience.

With states being responsible for their funding rather than the Commonwealth, there would be less inclination to spend up big on hi-waste projects because it would be their own $$$.

[ozbob]

http://statements.qld.gov.au/Statement/2014/1/31/next-round-of-road-safety-grants-open

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson
Friday, January 31, 2014

Next round of road safety grants open

Community groups, schools and local councils will have a second chance to tackle Queensland's road toll with the next round of the Community Road Safety Grants program now open.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson called on locals to put forward their innovative road safety ideas for a share of the $1.2 million in funding.

"We promised to revitalise front line services, but making our roads safer is a whole-of-community effort and it's great that local Queensland groups have the chance to come forward with ideas to reduce the road toll," Mr Emerson said.

"Each group can apply for up to $25,000 in funding over the coming five weeks for local safety initiatives.

"We're again inviting non-profit, school and local government groups to Join the Drive to Save Lives by delivering local road safety projects.

"Local ideas, adapted to local conditions, are critical to improving road safety and these grants let government, business and the community work together to target local road safety."

The first round of the grants program last year received 76 applications – 41 were successful in sharing $815,000 of grant funding.

Among the initiatives to receive grants in round one included:

    Queensland PCYC to help disadvantaged youth obtain their drivers licence through a volunteer driver mentor program
    Toowoomba Liquor Industry Action Group to trial a Maxi-taxi hire program
    Trivia road signs on the New England and Cunningham highways.

Mr Emerson said the program was one of 60 action items in the Newman Government's $350 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan, launched in mid-2013.

"While we have seen a decrease in the road toll, there are still too many lives lost on our roads each year," he said.

"All projects must be clearly focused on road safety initiatives, particularly focussing on driver distractions and road crash injury rehabilitation programs."

Applications for funding close Monday, 10 March and more information is available at www.tmr.qld.gov.au/roadsafetygrants

[ENDS] 31 January 2014

[ozbob]

Four Corners --> This Trucking Life

Monday 3 February 2013

Long haul trucking is a tough way to make a living. It's also an industry that takes far too many lives. The latest figures show that in just one year 242 people were killed in truck-related crashes and hundreds more were injured. Many of those accidents could have been avoided.

Next on Four Corners reporter Stephen Long goes on the road with drivers who risk their lives every day, trying to meet impossible deadlines. What he finds is a deadly intersection of corporate greed, government inaction and an industry feeding on itself.

Over the past few years a series of horrific truck crashes have renewed questions about the state of the road transport industry. Are drivers being paid a fair wage? Are big companies forcing down freight rates unreasonably to improve their bottom line? And are trucking companies and owner-drivers responding to the pressure by cutting corners on maintenance to keep their businesses alive?

What Four Corners discovered talking to those inside the industry will chill anyone using our highways. Drivers confess to consistent and significant drug abuse. Another reveals how his company was switching drivers to avoid police and Transport Department checks ...

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Christmas road safety campaign delivers results

Queenslanders are re-engaging with road safety following the Newman Government's Join the Drive to Save Lives campaign.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the evaluation of the Christmas road safety campaign showed Queenslanders were once again taking responsibility for road safety.

"This campaign has laid the foundations to truly change attitude and behaviour when it comes to road safety," Mr Emerson said.

"Almost two-thirds of Queenslanders recalled seeing the campaign compared to previous campaigns which were around 50 per cent.

"We promised at the election to revitalise frontline services and a big part of this commitment is driving down the rising road toll.

"The road safety campaign together with the enforcement efforts of police helped reduce the Christmas/New Year road toll to four which is two below the previous period.

"For the first time Queenslanders from all over the state were the voice of the campaign and clearly this fresh, modern approach is making a difference."

The campaign attracted more than 45,000 visits and 440 people uploaded their own road safety messages, videos and photos to the campaign website.

Research conducted after the campaign showed there was strong recall of key messages about the Fatal 5 particularly speeding (88 per cent), drink driving (88 per cent), driver fatigue (66 per cent) and talking/texting (52 per cent).

The campaign forms part of our $350 million Road Safety Action Plan to tackle the road toll.

While the Christmas campaign has finished, Join the Drive is still active and people are encouraged to leave a message, photo or video at www.qld.gov.au/jointhedrive.

[ENDS] 12 February 2014

[ozbob]

Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
The Honourable Jack Dempsey

Road toll lowest on record

Road safety efforts will step up across Queensland despite a record low monthly road toll in February.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson and Police Minister Jack Dempsey said the work of Police and a new road safety campaign were just the start of the effort to make driving safer.

"In February this year we saw 12 fatalities on our roads, this is the equal lowest month on record along with February 1999 and February 2004," Mr Emerson said.

"While this is encouraging, people are still losing their lives on our roads and we can't slow down our efforts to make driving safer.

"We promised at the election to revitalise frontline services, which includes more effective policing and safety efforts, and we are delivering on that commitment."

The Government this week finalised $82 million of road safety projects, announced as part of the $350 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan.

It follows the successful Join the Drive to Save Lives Christmas campaign, which used real Queenslanders giving their road safety tips. This year's Easter campaign will target drivers' attitudes towards speeding.

"We've seen improvements in all police regions this year, except for the Northern Police Region, which was one ahead of 2013," Mr Dempsey said.

"Some have reduced their road toll dramatically, like the Central Region, which is down by 20 in January and February this year.

"The 2010 road toll was the lowest since accurate records began and I'm hoping this year's start gives everyone the motivation to take care whenever they're behind the wheel.

"Take note of the Fatal Five – do not drink, do not speed, wear a seat belt, do not drive distracted and do not drive fatigued.

"We have an additional 676 police on the beat, a second police helicopter due to take to the sky mid this year, and we have introduced tough new laws against dangerous drivers.

"We've strengthened our evade police laws, and further developed our number plate recognition technology.

"These are just some of the measures we've introduced to help make Queensland's roads the safest they can be and to boost frontline services where Labor was failing to act."

Up to midnight Monday (3 March), there were 34 deaths on Queensland roads – 24 fewer than the same time last year.

[ENDS] 5 March 2014

[ozbob]

^ Good. Injuries have probably increased however, this is costing a lot .. many are life long ... road trauma a curse ..

[bcasey]

^ Good. Injuries have probably increased however, this is costing a lot .. many are life long ... road trauma a curse ..

Hopefully within a decade or two, road trauma will be a thing of the past, once automated vehicles plus other advancements in vehicle technology are commercialised and become ubiquitous on the roads.

[ozbob]

JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
The Honourable Jack Dempsey
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

State supports Fatality Free Friday

Queenslanders are being urged to support Fatality Free Friday (May 30) in a bid to further drive down the road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson and Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey said the Queensland Government was supporting the initiative for a second year, delivering on a key election promise.

"This campaign highlights road safety and enables every Queenslander to make a personal commitment to reducing the number of fatalities on our roads," Mr Emerson said.

"We promised at the election to revitalise frontline services and innovative campaigns like this deliver on that commitment.

"The road toll is 51, 24 below what it was this time last year however any fatality on our roads is a tragedy which is why we are doing all we can to stop the carnage on our roads.

"The campaign focuses on keeping our roads fatality-free on May 30, but we want drivers to keep the safety message at the top of their mind every time they get behind the wheel, 365 days a year."

Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister Jack Dempsey said as part of the campaign Queenslanders would have the opportunity to sign an inflatable car.

"Similar to last year, inflatable cars will tour the state and I'm encouraging all Queenslanders to pledge their support for Fatality Free Friday,"Mr Dempsey said.

Mr Dempsey said that the Queensland Police Service (QPS) would be active on Queensland's roads to ensure driver safety from Cairns to Coolangatta.

"The Queensland Police Service will be targeting the Fatal Five as we approach Fatality Free Friday and the Easter school holidays," he said.

"Road safety is everyone's future and every driver should remember to take care as families head onto the roads across the state.

"We are working hard to drive down the road toll through campaigns like this as well as our Join the Drive campaign and delivering our election promise of 1,100 additional police on the beat."

The initiative was launched ahead of Easter, when the Government will launch the next phase of its Join the Drive to Save Lives campaign targeting drivers' attitudes towards speeding.

All Queenslanders are encouraged to make their pledge, either by signing one of the inflatable cars touring the state, or online at www.fatalityfreefriday.com

[ENDS] 3 April 2014

[ozbob]

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

New campaign targets low road toll

A new Easter road safety campaign targeting speeding will aim to maintain Queensland's record low road toll.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said the campaign, to start this weekend, would target drivers who thought a couple of Ks over the limit was safe.

"Through the work of police and the government's $350 million, two-year Road Safety Action Plan, our road toll stands at 54 which is the lowest on record – 24 below the toll last year," Mr Emerson said.

"This campaign will target half of Queenslanders who have admitted to travelling up to 7km/h over the speed limit

"Speed contributes to more than one in five road deaths in Queensland, making it one of the biggest killers on our roads and slow speed crashes contribute to half of all speeding deaths.

"We promised at the election to revitalise frontline services and innovative campaigns like this deliver on that commitment.

"About half of all speed-related crashes which result in injuries or fatalities happen at just 10km/h or less over the speed limit.

"Four people died and 183 were injured on Queensland roads during the Easter long weekend last year."

In a road safety first, people would be able to have their name up in lights on 10 digital billboards which read, 'No time for speeding'.

Mr Emerson said the personalised billboard would mean anyone could go online and submit their name to pledge they had no time for speeding.

"This Easter, I plead with all Queenslanders to Join the Drive to Save Lives by allowing plenty of time to get your destination so you avoid the temptation to rush," he said.

The campaign forms coincides with a National Police-coordinated Easter enforcement campaign running from 17 to 21 April, which will focus on a reduction in speeding as one of the Fatal 5.

For more information about Join the Drive or to submit your name and message, visit www.qld.gov.au/jointhedrive

[ENDS]

[ozbob]

The Urbanist Crikey --> Which road users are most likely to end up in hospital?

[ozbob]

JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services
The Honourable Jack Dempsey

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Scott Emerson

Queenslanders make pledge for no road deaths

Queenslanders are being urged to drive safely today as part of Fatality Free Friday.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson joined Brisbanites at the official event pledging their support to drive safely and said the campaign delivered on the election promise to revitalise frontline services.

"Innovative campaigns like this deliver on our strong plan to lower the road toll and ensure a brighter and safer future for Queenslanders," Mr Emerson said.

"Motorists from Southport to Cairns have been commended for pledging to help keep the state fatality free on Friday.

"Road safety is everybody's responsibility and today gives us an opportunity to reflect and make a promise to ourselves and our families that we will do everything in our power to drive safely."

In the lead-up to Fatality Free Friday, the Queensland Government and Australian Road Safety Foundation sent three life-sized pledge cars to 15 locations across Queensland to promote the road safety message and capture safety pledges.

Mr Emerson commended the 2,200 people who pledged during the tour.

"As of today the 2014 road toll sits at 83. While this is 43 less than the same time last year, keeping our road toll low is an ongoing commitment 365 days a year," he said.

"We would like to see everyone join the drive to save lives by considering their choices on the road to make every day fatality free."

Police Minister Jack Dempsey said road deaths in every region across the state were down but it was important to remain vigilant.

"I thank all drivers and police for their continued effort in keeping our roads safe," Mr Dempsey said.

"One life lost on our roads is too many so its vital drivers pay attention to safety initiatives like Fatality Free Friday."

Anyone who missed out on pledging can visit the official Fatality Free Friday website and continue to make their pledge www.fatalityfreefriday.com throughout the year.

The campaign supports the Queensland Government's Join the Drive to Save Lives social change strategy, which encourages community involvement and participation in enhancing road safety. For more information, please go to www.jointhedrive.qld.gov.au

[ENDS] 30 May 2014

[Fares_Fair]

hmm, how about a train day?

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Jack-knife truck in Jondarayan death 'seriously defective'

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> In the past two years 254 Transport and Main Roads employees were snapped speeding in departmental cars

[ozbob]

Study: Transit Commuters Have Less Body Fat Than Those Who Drive to Work

--> http://usa.streetsblog.org/2014/08/21/study-transit-commuters-have-less-body-fat-than-those-who-drive-to-work/