Double Demerits in Force as Operation Safe Return comes into Action

BY JESSICA ROUSE

As we head into another long weekend, NSW Police have launched Operation Safe Return in a bid to keep drivers safe on our roads.

Latest police data reveals the person most likely to be involved in a crash is a male driver, traveling on country roads, between midday and 6 o clock at night.

But the message from police is that anyone can be involved in an accident and it's already happened at a record high rate with 392 lives lost on NSW roads last year.

"Safe Return is a state wide operation which will be targeting speeding, fatigue, drink driving, not wearing a seat belt and mobile phone use," said Chief Inspector Bruce McGregor.

This year is off to an awful start, between January 1st and 23rd 27 fatal crashes have occurred on NSW roads with 29 people losing their lives. Some were here in the Hunter including a pedestrian who was killed on Nelson Bay Road in Fullerton Cove last weekend and another male pedestrian in Belmont last week.

"We haven't even completed a month yet and we've had seven fatalities which is really too many and it causes a lot of families and friends a lot of angst, and it's a life changing situation," said Chief Inspector McGregor.

Double demerits are now in force having started at midnight last night, and will be in force until midnight on Sunday (January 28).

"I would urge people to plan their journeys, have regular fatigue breaks and make sure they're hydrated and be respectful to other road uses and be patient because you will strike congestion and you will strike issues and be prepared for that," said Chief Inspector McGregor.

Trucking Association Calls for Better Investigation Processes

BY SARAH JAMES

The Australian Trucking Association is calling for a change in the way truck crashes are investigated.

It comes following a horror crash at COORANBONG on Monday which caused a man's death and saw the M1 motorway closed to traffic.

A huge blaze was sparked as a fuel tanker clipped a parked truck, and the tanker full of ethanol exploded.

The truck driver who collided with the end of the pile-up sadly died at the scene.

Geoff Crouch from the Trucking Association says the federal government needs to give the Australian Transport Safety Bureau the power to investigate truck accidents.

In the past twelve months, NSW truck fatalities have increased by 86%. NSW is the only state to experience this trend, with the rest of Australia having their number of truck-related deaths fall.

At present, there is no clear reason for this increase in fatalities.

Geoff Crouch says the involvement of the Australian Safety Transport Bureau will allow better safety measures and regulations to be put in place.

"We are calling for the appropriate level of funding to be given to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau...to investigate serious road accidents and to come back with recommendations on how to prevent them from happening again," he said.

Australian Trucking Association

Motorcyclist Death Prompts Plea From Hunter Police

BY IAN CROUCH

Hunter Police have renewed calls for motorcyclists to take extra care on our roads following another fatality at the weekend.

A 21-year-old man died when he crashed his motorbike into a fence in Subiaco Avenue at Cessnock on Saturday afternoon.

Seven people have died in motorbike crashes on the region's roads this year, prompting police to urge motorcyclists to ride defensively.

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifted a 19-year-old motorcyclist to the John Hunter Hospital yesterday after a crash at Kulnura on the Central Coast.

"A Terrible Tragedy": NSW Police on Double Fatal near Cameron Park

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Investigations are continuing into the death of a 27-year-old woman and an 8-year-old boy on the M1 Pacific Motorway yesterday afternoon.

At about 5:30pm, police believe they were travelling in a Tarago van southbound and pulled into a breakdown bay near George Booth Drive where the driver got out and opened the side door.

"At that stage, we believe an 8-year-old child has entered the roadway followed by a 27-year-old carer. Obviously, both were killed we believe instantly when a pantech truck travelling south collided with both of those," said Acting Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith.

The driver of the truck, a 57-year-old man, was treated for shock and taken to the John Hunter Hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.

Police aren't able to comment on the results of the tests and still don't know exactly what happened and why.

The M1 was closed for more than five hours while investigators tried to piece together what had happened.

"Look I can tell you I know how I felt when the phone call came and I was deploying crash investigators last night. We sent a number of them up, we were already getting feedback from the roadside that it's a terrible tragedy," said Assistant Commissioner Smith.

"Obviously there's grief counselling for emergency services at the moment but then we've got to deal with the grief of the wider group of family members which is going to be forever."

The incident was one of nine fatal crashed over the weekend which police say were largely due to the inclement weather.

"It is a tragic day for emergency services. The nine deaths on the road on the weekend would be affecting hundreds more. There would be families who are grieving today. The investigations of all of those are in their infancy but certainly, six of those deaths can be attributed to poor driving," said Assistant Commissioner Smith.

The Accident Scene At Cameron Park Picture smh.com.au

Operation Slow Down: Hunter Police Out in Force This Weekend

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Operation Slow Down is in force this weekend from midnight tonight until 11:59pm on Monday the Hunter's roads.

Double demerits will be in place for speeding, mobile phone use behind the wheel, and motorcycle helmet offences.

Officers will be out in force in a bid to stop fatal accidents on the region's roads. This time last year, 94 drink-drivers were caught and there were 79 major crashes of which one was fatal and 11 were alcohol-related.

"People need to take responsibility for their actions and drive to the conditions especially on country roads. Speeding is the biggest contributor to fatal crashes in NSW, about 40 per cent of fatal crashes, and when you combine speeding with drinking, driving, taking drugs, distractions or tiredness all of those combined whilst driving are disastrous," said Chief Inspector Bruce McGregor.

We're being advised to allow extra travel time as well with heavy traffic expected on M1 with the upgrade between Doyalson and Tuggerah still underway, as well as on the Pacific Highway at Hexham and Raymond Terrace.

Chief Inspector McGregor says police just want all motorists to be safe on the road to give everyone the best chance of getting home in one piece.

"I'd just ask motorists to demonstrate patience, respect for other road users, be aware of things that can happen such as kangaroos or dangerous driving manoeuvres in front. Drive defensively, and plan your trip accordingly so you do have rest and sustenance."

UPDATED: Another fatality on the Hunter's roads

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE:

Police now believe the man who tragically lost his life near Aberdeen this morning may have been hitch-hiking at the time.

Emergency services were called to the New England Highway 5km south of Aberdeen at about 4:40am where they found a man had sustained multiple injuries after being hit by a car.

Police say he looked to have been hitch-hiking between Aberdeen and Muswellbrook.

The 18-year-old female driver of the car which allegedly hit him was treated for shock, and underwent mandatory testing at Muswellbrook Hospital.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen the man before 4:30am today to contact Muswellbrook Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

EARLIER:

There's been another tragic road fatality in the Hunter this morning, the third in just three days.

A male pedestrian has been hit by a car on the New England Highway about 5 kilometres south of Aberdeen.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 4:40am - one southbound lane of the highway is closed and traffic is expected to be disrupted while the scene is examined this morning.

The female driver of the vehicle remained at the scene to provide assistance.

She was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for mandatory testing.

It comes after a 17-year-old motorbike rider died in a crash at West Wallsend on Sunday, and a pedestrian struck and killed by a semi-trailer at Karuah on Monday morning.

Notorious black spots get funds

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Dozens of roads across the state are getting a much needed upgrade, including Maitland Vale Road in the Hunter.

Maitland Vale Road is a notorious black spot and it's been noticed by the Federal Government with a $775,000 funding injection announced to fix it.

The government is undertaking 52 black spot road projects throughout NSW under the Black Spot Project over the next 12 months. The government say the project reduces fatalities by 30 per cent and with 249 injury crashes across the 52 black spot projects, funding couldn't have come much sooner.

Federal Member for Lyne David Gillespie says the roads decided on for the black spot funding are based on risk and previous accidents and both fatality and serious injury numbers in the area.

"Road networks are so important because everyone travels them, road accidents can be fatal, the damage to individuals and families from road accidents is really distressing. The coalition government is committed to and have increased roads to recovery funding and black spot funding,"

"We would like to see better infrastructure cross Australia but we target in this program the most dangerous spots and it doesn't replace existing state government funding or council funding, its extra funds targeted at the most dangerous places," said Lyne MP David Gillespie.

Putty Road fatality in multi-vehicle crash

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The number of tragedies on the Hunter's roads continued to grow over this Christmas and New Year, with one motorcyclist dead and a second in a serious condition after a horror multi-vehicle crash on Putty Road yesterday.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 1:30pm following reports three motorcycles and a small truck had collided.

The condition of the third motorcyclist is still unknown and the truck driver was uninjured but taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

NSW Police Operation Safe Arrival wrapped up last night with the finish of double demerits.