A small number of people in our community have the potential to cause detrimental harm to us all.
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It’s the minority that commit serious crimes, but the minor crimes can also have major consequences.
There are people who participate in risky behaviour such as speeding, drink-driving, using a mobile phone while behind the wheel and not wearing a seat belt.
Most of us have probably been guilty of one of the above at some stage in our lives – whether it be intentionally or due to inattention.
However, it’s these “minor” offences that can have a devastating impact on the community.
It only takes a moment to lose control and take the life of an innocent person.
Last month The Examiner launched a campaign called In Your Hands.
The campaign was designed to be confronting and raw. The stories told the trauma and pain a road crash had on all involved.
Everyone from emergency services to victims’ families.
We have not finished this campaign. We still have many stories to tell and progress to be made in an effort to reduce the number of crashes and deaths or serious injuries in our region.
Six months earlier we launched a campaign called Enough is Enough.
The campaign came after an off-duty police officer was assaulted. He was targeted because he was an officer.
The incident sparked a conversation about adequate consequences for assaults against off-duty police officers as well as showing respect to all emergency service workers.
Both these campaigns are linked, but not intentionally.
Thankfully no one died on our Northern roads this holiday period. But in the past couple of days we’ve had some shocking close calls. There was the 20-year-old P-plater caught travelling nearly twice the speed limit with teenagers in his car.
And then this week two police cars were rammed by another car, while the driver was allegedly trying to evade police.
Northern Police Commander Brett Smith was right to condemn this behaviour, and so should the community.
With 800 cases of evasion on average every year in the state, we must ensure our laws are the strongest they can be in an effort to protect our police and other road users from being innocent victims.
