Hasbeen: We all probably at some time wish we could return to our halicon days of the 50`s, when yes, there were heaps of dirt roads, but unfortunately we are now living in the 21st century, and whether we like it or not we have to accept modernization and all that we may perceive as being unnacceptable.

My issue is with the authorities who have been collecting millions of dollars ( and pounds ) over the years, but seem to have returned very little of it to the building of roads, at least in the regional areas!

For too many years now we have witnessed or heard about the many accidents and deaths resulting from vehicles deviating from their given direction, veering across the road and into oncoming traffic.

We can rattle on forever about the possible causes of vehicular deviation, but if the major highways were divided into dual carriageways, the risks would be reduced, and survival would be a chance.

I have personally taken up the issue of regional road conditions with the Qld Minister for Main Roads, but appear to have acheived very little, due to the ensconced economic policies, whereby roadworks construction, repair and maintenance are subject to the tender process, which itself is in need of severe modification to bring strict accountability to a process that appears to be drastically lacking.

For anyone who has spent much time driving on Northern Territory roads, the difference between there and here in Queensland is mind-boggling, with great distances of smooth, well-constructed bitumen, clearly marked and well-drained!....the question I ask is "if they can do it in the Territory, why can`t we do it the same here?"

One word guys, FUNDING, or rather, lack of it.

When we fight others wars, open our arms and wallets to all these illegals, and keep supporting those who refuse to work, along with multiple times single mums, what do we expect.

Somethings gotta give and we are only just seeing the beginning, so we had best get used to it.

Money can only be spent once.

Hazza you old bean, I’m nowhere near as ancient as you!! ( :>/

Hey I agree that we should be very thankful for the quality of roads that we’ve got.

I’ll have to disagree strongly with Crackcup that the answer is to greatly improve the roads.

<< Perhaps if folks were driving at a suitable speed, looking where they're going, & stopping when they're sleepy, we'd have less accidents. >>

YES!

And if they were pulled into line when driving improperly, ie tailgating, overtaking riskily, overtaking a vehicle that is sitting on the speed limit and things like that, then we’d see a whole lot less accidents I reckon.

The cause of this accident near Childers is not known as far as I am aware, but it would seem that veering into the path of a truck would probably have nothing to do with the quality of the road.

I’ve travelled the whole length of the Bruce Hwy recently and gone back forth numerous times on its northern parts. There are roadworks everywhere! Lots and lots of temporary red traffic lights!! An enormous amount of money is being spent on it. And when it’s all done, it will only be marginally better than before.

continued

I suggest that a good part of the hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on roadworks should be spent instead on developing a community policing program, in which people are encouraged to report bad drivers, in just the same way as we are encouraged to report litterers, smoky vehicles or suspicious people as part of the neighbourhood watch program.

We could be shown how to collect evidence of bad, risky, dangerous and downright stupid driving, which is really easy with the use of a camcorder or mobile phone, and which any passenger can do.

This expenditure should provide an increased number of police or authorised bureaucrats to analyse these complaints and any associated evidence and book people accordingly.

Then after a short time, the wank*rs on the road who think that they can get away with just about anything because the thin blue is indeed very very thin, and who have to push the envelope all the time and who have no patience or regard for other road users, will realise that the blue line isn’t so thin afterall.

We would then see a marked improvement the quality of driving really quite quickly…. and no doubt a concomitant drop in the accident rate.

THIS is what we need to improve road safety, NOT endless enormous expenditure on improving our roads.

the way many people drive its amazing their are not a lot more deaths. Better roads are only a small part of the answer.

Agree with most of that Crackcup. I have no desire to return to the 50s, when it took my folks a few weeks saving to buy a pair of shoes, although I wouldn't mind that body I had then back. However I see no reason to blame governments for what is simply bad driving.

Sure it would be nice to have better roads, but what do you want to give up for them. For decades governments have been ripping motorists of for the cash for education, health care, & all the other stuff.

They denigrated smokers so they could rip them off too, then drinkers, & lately gamblers. Sure it would be nice to get rid of 50% of public servant seat warmers, but even then, the services the public demand have to be paid for somehow.

We definitely should be providing the northern half of the state, the productive half, with all weather roads, but they don't need to be gold plated, just trafficable. They should be built before a single kilo more bitumen is laid in the south, however divided roads are a luxury we can't afford, particularly on northern roads which carry little traffic.

I get annoyed at hundred of kilometers of armco on our roads, where running off the road would be safe if we just ignored the greenies. Clear the trees, & we don't need safety fences, particularly those that just bounce a car back in front of following cars.

I have watched small saplings on our road verges grow into large trees, which now carry the crosses erected for those they have killed. Get rid of them & we will be much safer, & won't have kangaroos camouflaged just centimeters off the road.