Thousands hospitalised due to bad driving behaviour
Cars are getting smarter and roads are getting safer, but thousands of Queenslanders are still being seriously injured in crashes every year due to bad driving behaviour.
The latest data from Transport and Main Roads, shows almost 7,000 people were admitted to Queensland hospitals with serious injuries sustained in crashes in 2020.
RACQ spokesperson Lauren Cooney said while the State’s roll toll was a tragedy, the alarming number of people suffering life-changing injuries in crashes demanded attention.
“As we mark National Road Safety Week, we need to highlight the devastating and often permanent impact of road trauma because a lot of people who survive road crashes can still have their lives changed forever,” she said.
“On average, around 20 Queenslanders are admitted to hospital every day with injuries suffered in a crash.
“Some people are in hospital for a few days while others are there long-term, having to learn to walk again or live with a significant brain injury.”
Ms Cooney said of the 6,996 hospitalisations in 2020:
- 1,484 involved distracted drivers or riders
- 802 involved drunk driving or drunk while riding motorbikes/scooters
- 472 involved fatigued drivers or riders
- 388 involved speeding.
“The shocking amount of people ending up in a hospital bed due to reckless driving behaviour shows that we all need to make a bigger effort to adhere to the road rules and ‘drive so we all survive’.
“We want people to focus on every aspect of road safety every time they get in a car. Remember that driving is a privilege, not a right, and it should be treated like the dangerous activity it really is so we can dramatically reduce the number of hospitalisations.”