WITH more than 100 people killed in accidents on SA roads during 2019, the SA Police has announced it is changing the language it uses when talking about road fatalities.
Previously the term "road toll" has been used, but given the horror year on our roads, the Commissioner of Police Grant Stevens has decided a strong change of language is needed.
Officer in Charge of the Traffic Services Branch Superintendent Bob Gray, alongside Police Minister Corey Wingard, announced SAPOL will now be using "lives lost" instead of "road toll".
"This new approach better highlights the very real human loss we're seeing on our roads," Superintendent Gray said.
"As many people have seen, or experienced first-hand, these roads deaths impact so many people in our community; friends, family, partners, and colleagues.
"The use of 'lives lost' better represents the individuals who have died on our roads, and shows that these were real lives rather than just a number."
Mr Wingard said it has been a particularly shocking year on South Australian roads.
"More than 100 people have lost their lives on South Australian roads this year, these are people who won't be spending Christmas with their families and loved ones," he said.
"As we head into the holiday period, I want to issue a personal plea to SA: please stay safe, don't make stupid choices, don't rush and don't become distracted. Think about the people you'll leave behind."
South Australia Police have also asked local media to adopt this language change in their road safety reporting.
From January 1, SAPOL will officially be replacing "road toll" with "lives lost" across all platforms, including in media releases, press conferences, interviews and digital media.
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