❓ Question regarding the Minister for Road Safety's comments on road fatalities and whether they were insensitive to grieving families. The Minister defends her comments, stating they were broad observations about the main causes of fatal crashes.
AnsweredQoN 620Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ROAD TOLL — MINISTER FOR ROAD SAFETY'S
COMMENTS
620. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for
Road Safety:
I refer to the state's alarming road toll, recent car
crashes, and comments by psychologist Dr Lauren Breen that, and I quote —
''Apportioning blame before
the investigations are done can actually add to the grief of the families of
those who died.''
(1) Why, after
another horrific weekend of deaths on our roads, did the minister say that if
people made ''better choices'', they would not have been killed?
(2) Are not
the minister's comments insensitive to the loved ones of those killed,
and at best premature given that the investigations have not been completed?
COMMENTS
620. Mrs M.H. ROBERTS to the Minister for
Road Safety:
I refer to the state's alarming road toll, recent car
crashes, and comments by psychologist Dr Lauren Breen that, and I quote —
''Apportioning blame before
the investigations are done can actually add to the grief of the families of
those who died.''
(1) Why, after
another horrific weekend of deaths on our roads, did the minister say that if
people made ''better choices'', they would not have been killed?
(2) Are not
the minister's comments insensitive to the loved ones of those killed,
and at best premature given that the investigations have not been completed?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Midland for the question. The state's road toll is
appalling. We are sitting at over 100 people now who have died as a result of
road crashes in Western Australia so far this year. To clarify my comments,
when we have a look at the causes of fatal and serious injury crashes in
Western Australia, it comes back to the same things. It comes back to people
not wearing seatbelts, people driving when they are under the influence of
drugs or alcohol;, people speeding, —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : —
distracted drivers, and people driving while fatigued. Those are the causes of
our car crashes. The sad reality is that if drivers made better choices, we
would not have the road toll that we have.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Were some of the people killed on the weekend innocent? Did they make bad
choices? Do you actually know?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The fact remains that if we can change driving culture in Western Australia, we
will drive down the road toll. Every time I get an opportunity to speak on road
safety, I will remind motorists that most of these fatalities —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
How would you feel if it was one of your loved ones?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member for Midland, who is politicising those deaths now? Have some respect for
the families.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The member for Midland should have some respect for the families.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
To clarify my comments, I was making broad comments about the causes of fatal
and serious crashes in Western Australia. Those causes come back to the same
issues—people speeding, people driving while under the influence of
alcohol, people not wearing seatbelts, people disobeying the road rules, and
people driving while fatigued or distracted. That is why these car crashes are
occurring. That is the difficulty that we have as a government.
Mr
R.F. Johnson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. A quick answer,
please.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I have great empathy for the people who have lost loved ones on the
roads. I have lost a family member myself. Most people know somebody who has
died as a result of a road crash. To say that I do not understand the suffering
that those people endure is entirely inappropriate and incorrect. I drive past
a memorial every day that reminds me of the loss that families suffer when
someone dies needlessly on our roads.
Mr
R.F. Johnson interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
do have empathy for these families. I am committed to driving down the road
toll, and we are doing that with a range of strategies that the member for
Midland is well aware of.
thank the member for Midland for the question. The state's road toll is
appalling. We are sitting at over 100 people now who have died as a result of
road crashes in Western Australia so far this year. To clarify my comments,
when we have a look at the causes of fatal and serious injury crashes in
Western Australia, it comes back to the same things. It comes back to people
not wearing seatbelts, people driving when they are under the influence of
drugs or alcohol;, people speeding, —
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : —
distracted drivers, and people driving while fatigued. Those are the causes of
our car crashes. The sad reality is that if drivers made better choices, we
would not have the road toll that we have.
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
Were some of the people killed on the weekend innocent? Did they make bad
choices? Do you actually know?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland, I call you to order for the first time.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The fact remains that if we can change driving culture in Western Australia, we
will drive down the road toll. Every time I get an opportunity to speak on road
safety, I will remind motorists that most of these fatalities —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
How would you feel if it was one of your loved ones?
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
Member for Midland, who is politicising those deaths now? Have some respect for
the families.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
The member for Midland should have some respect for the families.
Mrs M.H. Roberts interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Midland!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY :
To clarify my comments, I was making broad comments about the causes of fatal
and serious crashes in Western Australia. Those causes come back to the same
issues—people speeding, people driving while under the influence of
alcohol, people not wearing seatbelts, people disobeying the road rules, and
people driving while fatigued or distracted. That is why these car crashes are
occurring. That is the difficulty that we have as a government.
Mr
R.F. Johnson interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Hillarys, I call you to order for the first time. A quick answer,
please.
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I have great empathy for the people who have lost loved ones on the
roads. I have lost a family member myself. Most people know somebody who has
died as a result of a road crash. To say that I do not understand the suffering
that those people endure is entirely inappropriate and incorrect. I drive past
a memorial every day that reminds me of the loss that families suffer when
someone dies needlessly on our roads.
Mr
R.F. Johnson interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Hillarys!
Mrs L.M. HARVEY : I
do have empathy for these families. I am committed to driving down the road
toll, and we are doing that with a range of strategies that the member for
Midland is well aware of.
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