Double-digit road toll for ACT in 2014
While the ACT road toll continues to sit below the 10-year average, the double-digit toll stands as a solemn reminder to that there is work still to do.
“Any fatality on our roads is one too many and, as a community, we should always strive to be fatality free,” ACT Policing Acting Officer in Charge Traffic Operations Station Sergeant Tracey Duck said.
“These ten fatalities are not just a number; they are lives tragically lost and families devastated. For the family and friends, for the survivors left seriously injured, and for the emergency responders, the toll is much higher than a simple number.”
The ACT has seen an average of 13 road fatalities and 700 injuries per year over the past 10 years.
“We’ve seen the ACT road toll fluctuate as low as 6 and as high as 26 over the past decade. However, there is still work to do as a community to see a fatality free ACT,” Sergeant Duck said.
“So many factors have contributed to a lower than average road toll this year. This includes driver awareness, our joint work with the ACT Government on road safety campaigns, the expansion of the Road Safety Operations team, and the outstanding work that our ambulance services do at the scene of road collisions.”
“We’ll continue to work with the ACT Government in 2015 to improve road safety. It’s also up to individual drivers to make a personal commitment to drive safely so that we can reduce road trauma in the ACT.”
Sergeant Duck said police would continue to be out in force during the holiday season detecting and removing drivers engaging in risky behaviour such as speeding, drink and drug driving, ignoring traffic controls, driving fatigued or distracted, and not wearing seatbelts.
Double demerits have been in effect since Wednesday, December 24, 2014 and will continue until midnight Sunday, January 4, 2015.
ACT Road Toll
Year Road Fatalities
2014 10
2013 7
2012 12
2011 6
2010 18
2009 12
2008 14
2007 14
2006 12
2005 26
2004 11
2003 11
2002 10
2001 16
2000 18