Latest news with #roadtoll
ABC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- ABC News
Queensland road toll climbs to 158 after 10 people killed in horror weekend
Ten people have died in five fatal road crashes across Queensland since Friday night, prompting a warning from the state's peak motoring body of a worsening road toll. The recent tragedies take Queensland's road toll to 158 so far this year, with fears 2025 could end up surpassing last year's total of 302, which was the highest in 15 years. Three of the five fatal crashes over the weekend were in central Queensland. On Sunday morning, emergency services were called to the Capricorn Highway, between Comet and Blackwater, in the Central Highlands, as two vehicles had crashed and caught fire. Four people died at the scene and two men in their 20s are in a serious condition in Brisbane and Emerald hospitals. In the Mackay region, three teenagers died after a head-on collision on the Mackay Ring Road in Glenella on Friday night. The driver, aged 29, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition. On Saturday morning, a 45-year-old motorcyclist died after he crashed into a ute and trailer stopped in front of him at Mount Pleasant, in Mackay. Further south, an 18-year-old Kingaroy man died in Hivesville, in the South Burnett region, on Sunday morning when he was struck by a vehicle while lying on the road, police say. On Friday night, emergency services were called to Tamborine, in the Scenic Rim, to reports a man had fallen out of a car. A 26-year-old man sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. There have been 158 fatalities from Queensland road crashes so far this year. Michael Kane, head of public policy for Queensland's peak motoring body RACQ, said the latest tragedies meant the state was heading towards equalling or exceeding last year's road toll. There were 302 road crash fatalities in 2024 in Queensland — the highest in 15 years. "So many lives have been lost and so many other lives have been terribly impacted," Dr Kane said. Dr Kane said the growing road toll showed we had a lot of work to do as a community to turn it around. "There is no reason why we should accept a worsening road toll for a number of years; it was getting better," he said. Dr Kane said while there was a need for safer roads and better maintenance, particularly in regional areas, there also needed to be a focus on safer road culture. "We are driving at high speeds, we think our cars are cocoons, but if we crash at a high speed or if we're doing the wrong thing in the way we drive, we can change and lose our life… or cause the loss of life of someone else as a random person or someone we love," he said. RACQ is also calling for better traffic policing, following survey results which showed the public thought there wasn't enough police presence on the roads. Dr Kane said there had been a decline in the statistics of random roadside breath and drug testing since 2023. "We have seen in the last 12 months that start to change and the Queensland government has had a focus on getting more police into the police force and getting more random breath and drug tests, but that needs to step up," he said. "But these changes can't be made overnight."
News.com.au
10-06-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Caitlyn Bragger, 15, was killed in a crash that injured five other teens travelling in a 4WD when it rolled south of Perth
A 15-year-old girl who was killed in a 4WD that rolled on the weekend has been remembered as an angel who brought sunshine with her everywhere she went. Caitlyn Bragger, 15, was a passenger in a Toyota Landcruiser carrying five other teenagers when it rolled off Scarp Rd in Hoffman, 150km south of Perth, about 8pm on Saturday. Volunteer firefighters freed one of the passengers who was trapped in the wreckage. The 16-year old male driver and a 17-year-old male passenger were seriously injured in the crash and were rushed to Bunbury Hospital. Three other passengers were treated for minor injuries. The group had been camping nearby when the crash occurred with witnesses saying the car had been crushed like a tin can. 'It was scary to see,' one man said. Family friend Mekayla Cowcher paid tribute to the 15-year-old girl 'gone way too soon' and setup a fundraiser to help the family with funeral costs. She said Caitlyn's family were left broken, lost and confused. '(Caitlyn was) known for her kindness, unique sense of humour, and devotion to her family and friends,' she said. 'She bought a ray of sunshine everywhere she went, so outgoing and never left a dull moment in life. ' No one ever expects something like this to happen, you can't prepare yourself. 'We never expected to say goodbye to her beautiful soul so soon. 'Forever 15, forever in our memory and hearts. Our Angel In Heaven.' WA's road toll has reached 87 lives, the highest number of deaths in more than a decade. Premier Roger Cook told media it was an unacceptable figure that could be prevented it people did everything they could to keep themselves and others safe on the road. The premier said they were looking at what was working in other states and overseas and what technology was available to keep roads safer. 'That's why we've got our deep dive into our road safety measures at the moment, reviewing what else we can do as a government,' he said. Shadow Road Safety Minister Julie Freeman said it was a heartbreaking and unacceptable milestone. 'Regional road deaths continue to make up a disproportionate share of the toll,' she said. 'These are our communities. We're on the ground, we're working with regional organisations, and we need to be part of finding solutions. 'We need a coordinated, bipartisan effort to turn this around, because too many lives depend on it.'
The National
05-06-2025
- Business
- The National
Eid Al Adha holiday: Free parking and no toll fees in Abu Dhabi
Public parking will be free and road toll charges will be lifted in Abu Dhabi for the Eid Al Adha holiday. Abu Dhabi Mobility - the authority responsible for public transport in the capital - confirmed that surface parking fees would be halted from Thursday until Sunday. Paid parking charges will resume on Monday, the authority said in a post shared on social media. Drivers will not be charged for using Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system during the same period. Road toll charges will be reactivated on Monday, as public and private sector employees return to work after the long weekend. Authorities last week announced the Eid Al Adha holiday would run from Thursday, when Arafat Day is observed, until Sunday. Eid Al Adha, which begins on Friday, means 'festival of the sacrifice' and is the second of the two Eid holidays celebrated around the Arab world, coming after Eid Al Fitr. Eid Al Adha commemorates how the Prophet Ibrahim was asked by God in a dream to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as a test of his faith. As with other religious holidays in the Emirates, it is a time for friends and family to gather, often over meals, and reflect on their lives and faith. Eid Al Adha around the world - in pictures
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Holiday road toll: 5 dead and at least 10 injured
The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Five people have been killed and at least 10 injured in separate crashes in the first two days of the long weekend. A motorcyclist was killed in a crash on Harihari Highway, State Highway 6 on Sunday. The crash, at Kakapotahi near the Waitaha River Bridge, was reported to police at a 5.15pm. No other vehicles were involved. A woman died in hospital on Sunday after her vehicle rolled on Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Road in Waikato on Friday, just a few hours after the holiday road toll period began. Three others were injured in the single vehicle crash. A man died several hours later in a crash in the Waipā district , also in Waikato, after his vehicle left the road and rolled into a paddock. Just after midnight on Saturday, a person died in a two vehicle crash south of Kawakawa in Northland. And on Saturday night, a man died after his car ended up on its roof on State Highway 16 in Auckland . Four people were taken to hospital, two in a serious condition and two in moderate condition. The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday. Last year, three people died on the roads during the King's Birthday holiday weekend.
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Holiday road toll: 4 dead and at least 10 injured
The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi Four people have been killed and at least 10 injured in separate crashes in the first two days of the long weekend. A woman died in hospital on Sunday after her vehicle rolled on Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Road in Waikato on Friday, just a few hours after the holiday road toll period began. Three others were injured in the single vehicle crash. A man died several hours later in a crash in the Waipā district , also in Waikato, after his vehicle left the road and rolled into a paddock. Just after midnight Saturday a person died in a two vehicle crash south of Kawakawa in Northland. And on Saturday night a man died after his car ended up on its roof on State Highway 16 in Auckland . Four people were taken to hospital, two in a serious condition and two in moderate condition. The official road toll period will end at 6am on Tuesday. Last year, three people died on the roads during the King's Birthday holiday weekend.
