Page 4872 - Week 15 - Wednesday, 14 December 2005
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around 0.05 grams per 100 millilitres. At this blood alcohol concentration level a driver has double the risk of a serious crash than at zero. At 0.08 the risk is double that at 0.05. Although significant reductions in drink-driving have been achieved over the past decade, one in every 1,000 motorists still does not restrict the amount they drink when driving. It has been estimated that there would be a 24 per cent reduction in fatal crashes if no drivers used alcohol and a 13 per cent reduction if no drivers used other drugs.
While studies have shown that cannabis and other drugs impair performance on driving-related tasks, evidence still suggests that alcohol is a bigger road safety problem than all other drugs combined. Considerable efforts have been made by all Australian governments, including the ACT government, to inform and educate the driving public of their responsibilities. As with drink-driving, there is evidence from an extensive body of research that even small reductions in vehicle speeds result in a marked reduction in the number of road fatalities and serious injuries.
While there is growing public understanding of speed risks and majority support for strict approaches to speed management, there is still a widespread belief that only speeds well in excess of current limits are risky. Research has shown, however, that motorists travelling five to 10 kilometres per hour over the set speed limit double the risk of a casualty crash. Evidence also shows that, although moderate speeding within 10 or 15 kilometres per hour over the posted limit is far less risky than more extreme speeds, it makes a comparable contribution to serious road crashes because it is so common.
The majority of drivers in our community are well informed and aware of the dangers and risks associated with speeding and driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. However, some drivers are still unaware of the importance of paying attention and concentrating while driving. Driver inattention has been found to be a major contributor to road crashes. We know the dangers associated with talking on a mobile phone while driving—and this is now illegal—but there are many other distractions that are just as dangerous.
It is up to motorists to be sensible and pay attention to the task at hand. Every day a large number of motorists engage in various activities while driving including eating, drinking, reading, writing, shaving, applying make-up, smoking, using mobile phones, changing music and conversing with passengers. Distractions reduce drivers’ abilities to react to certain circumstances and we know that reacting even a split second earlier can make a huge difference to the outcome of an accident. It is important for motorists to be aware of the dangers of inattention and distractions, particularly during holiday periods when distractions can be increased. Families often travel in the school holiday period and children in particular find themselves with time and room to explore and have fun. At the same time, this period is all too often marred by tragedy, as it can be a time when vehicle and pedestrian accidents peak.
On average, during holiday periods each year 36,000 Australian children are injured severely enough to be admitted to hospital. The four major causes of these injuries are deaths in motor vehicles, drowning, pedestrian deaths and deaths caused by fire, smoke or flames. Looking at these categories, we can identify generally that the most likely place a child will be involved in an accident will be near a road or driveway or in the family home. For instance, each year around Australia 50 children die from pedestrian
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