Cameron Newbold: Police plea for care on our regional roads in holiday period sadly doesn’t prevent tragedy

As people make their way back and forth to holiday destinations for Christmas and new year, it’s our regional roads that become the most populated.

Every year, police issue a timely reminder for motorists to take extra care, whether travelling alone or with loved ones, but sadly this plea often goes unheard.

This time last year, the Great Southern had a horror run.

In the space of two months, seven people were killed in crashes in the region, some of which could have been prevented.

Ten days before Christmas, a truck driver died after a crash near Kojonup and on Christmas morning young parents Cindy Braddock, 25, and Jake Day, 28, were killed just kilometres from their Kondinin home.

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, 21-year-old Daniel Lewis was killed in a rollover near Corrigin.

His body was discovered hours later.

Between Pingelly and Narrogin, an 81-year-old man died after his car struck a water pipeline on Great Southern Highway on January 16.

On January 20, a 54-year-old male and 54-year-old female were both killed after their motorcycle collided with the rear of a turning vehicle near Boddington.

These seven people never returned to normal life.

Three never got to the Christmas table with their loved ones and one died just hours after welcoming in the new year with friends.

These fatal crashes leave families mourning, communities reeling and first responders confronting memories of another life taken too soon.

Fatigue, inattention and not wearing seatbelts were factors in some of these fatal crashes and remain an issue in other serious incidents around WA.

This is not a problem isolated to the Great Southern — it is impacting WA more broadly and, sadly, wider Australia.

Travelling on regional roads, especially main highways, you often see behaviour that leaves you shaking your head — speeding, dangerous overtaking, or veering onto the wrong side of the road.

Albany Highway in particular can feel like a death trap over the holiday period

As a reporter for more than a decade at the Albany Advertiser, I have unfortunately written far too many stories on road deaths in our region.

This holiday period again presents the same challenges and for those using the roads, travelling is often a stressful experience.

Is speeding worth getting to a destination a few minutes earlier than planned or will the decision to not wear a seatbelt prove life-changing?

Consider the families who lose loved ones at a time when they should be celebrating and enjoying the good things in life.

I certainly would not want to feel the pain and heartache that families went through last year.

No one would.

We all deserve to get to and from our destinations safely, be there on Christmas Day and return to normality in January without devastation.

I also feel for our emergency services workers who sacrifice time with family and friends so they can service the community during this period, often facing confronting scenes that are not easily erased.

Travel safe during the holidays and together let’s ensure there is no empty seat at the table.

Cameron Newbold is the Albany Advertiser chief of staff