Fed: Ads and enforcement lead to lowest Easter toll in years

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2004
Fed: Ads and enforcement lead to lowest Easter toll in years

Years of graphic ads showing mangled car wrecks, a heavy police presence and changing
driver attitudes have combined to deliver the lowest Easter road toll in 16 years.

Fourteen people died on the nation's roads during the Easter long weekend, 10 down
on last year and a measure of what road safety experts hope is a downward trend.

NSW recorded the highest road toll with six deaths. Four people died in Victoria while
Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania each recorded one fatality.

The ACT and Northern Territory were fatality free.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau says the lower road toll could be attributed
to a number of factors.

Spokesman JON HENCHY says the safety campaigns are getting through to the collective
psyche of drivers, along with the police presence and the double demerit point system
that operates in a some jurisdictions.

Federal Roads Minister IAN CAMPBELL says the fall in fatalities is welcome, but any
death is one too many.



(EDS: AAP's Easter road toll figures are for the period 0001 April 8 to 2359 April
12. Some states and territories may have different periods.)

AAP RTV sal/nf/was/jlw/rp

KEYWORD: TOLL NATIONAL (SYDNEY)

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