drive.arrive. - Eliminate risks when driving this summer

There have been 79 fatalities and 614 serious injuries on South Australian roads this year already, with the Mid North topping the list for the entire state with 15 fatalities as of November 16 – already equalling the region's road toll figures for all of 2015.

Distracted drivers using smartphones, not leaving adequate distance between cars and taking risks on country roads were the major causes of these alarming statistics, according to retired police sergeant Robert Fisher.

“The hardest thing is knocking on their door at three in the morning and telling them that their husband or father isn’t there anymore,” Mr Fisher said.

“When there is a death involved, it’s the family… it hits them the hardest.” 

Mr Fisher spent 38 years in a police uniform, working all across SA and having witnessed first-hand what can happen on country roads.

“Years ago, because of the laws and not being able to breath test, more people took a chance. But since the laws changed and they’ve brought in the random breath testing whenever you’re driving, things have got better,” Mr Fisher said.

During his career, Mr Fisher patrolled Loxton, Snowtown, Cleve, Port Pirie, Goolwa and Clare, seeing families’ lives destroyed by careless driving or lapses in judgment. 

“Now, everyone between the ages of 14 and 50 has a mobile phone,” Mr Fisher said.

“After a month or two months (of having an accident), a driver would have started using their mobile phone again – it's just one of those things.”

Increased fines and demerit point penalties for mobile phone usage while driving seemed to be ineffective, Mr Fisher said, and while these penalties kept increasing, offenders seemed to be repeating their offences.

Ten provisional licensed drivers were involved in fatal car accidents last year, and while not all of these cases were directly connected with mobile phone distraction, eliminating as many distractions as possible while driving could be a proactive way to improve road safety.

“As they say, lock it in the glove box, put it in the boot. If you know you’re driving for two hours and you want to talk to someone: stop, have a rest, and check your phone,” Mr Fisher said.

Planning ahead and ensuring a place to sleep was organised when alcohol was involved would also eliminate the unnecessary risks and penalties of drink driving – and perhaps even save a life. 

During Mr Fisher’s time with the police force, he said people were more responsible at big publicised events than they were at house or yard parties. 

“They don’t see the police there, so they make the wrong decision when they’ve had a few, ” Mr Fisher said.

“They don’t think because obviously they’re not aware or they’re not planning ahead.”