Published Tuesday, 05 February, 2008 at 05:30 PM
Minister for Main Roads and Local Government
The Honourable Warren Pitt
Claims road surface to blame for fatal road crashes misleading
Newspaper reports blaming stone mastic asphalt as a deadly road surface responsible for repeated road fatalities are misleading the community as to their true causes, Main Roads Minister Warren Pitt said today.
Mr Pitt said far from informing motorists and the public about the reasons for the road crashes, the newspaper reports were an impediment to public awareness and understanding.
"Stone mastic asphalt is being cited in these newspaper reports as the primary cause of the road crashes, when this is not the case,” he said.
“It was a contributing factor in several crashes near the town of Federal, where the geometry of the road was the main problem.
“However, to suggest it is the major or underlying reason for the accidents and deaths that have occurred over recent years between Cooroy and Gympie is misleading.
“What we are seeing is stone mastic asphalt being made the scapegoat for all these crashes, while the true reasons – varied as they may be – get off the hook.
“This is not helping anyone. It certainly is not helping to promote better knowledge and understanding of why the crashes and deaths are occurring and what needs to be done to stop them.
"The fact is that stone mastic asphalt has been declared an appropriate and safe road surface by a number of thorough, independent reports.”
Mr Pitt said the newspaper reports had claimed that stone mastic asphalt was responsible for a 2007 fatality at Tanawha. This claim ignored the findings of an extensive investigation into the crash.
The investigation found that a contaminant, such as oil, was the most likely road factor in that tragic crash.
"Nowhere in the findings of that investigation is it suggested that stone mastic asphalt was responsible”, Mr Pitt said.
"To say otherwise is not only false, but misinforms and misleads the community.”
Mr Pitt said that of the 34 fatal crashes on the Cooroy to Gympie stretch of road since 2000, the vast majority had been attributed to driver behaviour or driver error. Fewer than half had occurred where the road surface was stone mastic asphalt.
Mr Pitt said Main Roads was continuing its investigation into last week's fatality, in conjunction with police.
“Once again, the newspaper reports have laid the blame squarely on the stone mastic asphalt road surface,” he said.
“However, just because there’s been a crash on a stone mastic asphalt surface doesn’t mean that the road surface is the cause.
"The crash history of the section of road where last week's crash occurred was analysed in the 2005 independent review of Main Roads' use of stone mastic asphalt.
"The review found this site showed no statistically significant increase in crash rate following the laying of stone mastic asphalt, just as the report found it was a safe and appropriate surface for Queensland roads."
"Main Roads and police are thoroughly investigating last week's crash – as is standard procedure with fatalities.
"Should this investigation make any recommendations regarding how the road might be improved, Main Roads will take action. Main Roads gives road safety the highest priority,” Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s office 3227 8819
Mr Pitt said far from informing motorists and the public about the reasons for the road crashes, the newspaper reports were an impediment to public awareness and understanding.
"Stone mastic asphalt is being cited in these newspaper reports as the primary cause of the road crashes, when this is not the case,” he said.
“It was a contributing factor in several crashes near the town of Federal, where the geometry of the road was the main problem.
“However, to suggest it is the major or underlying reason for the accidents and deaths that have occurred over recent years between Cooroy and Gympie is misleading.
“What we are seeing is stone mastic asphalt being made the scapegoat for all these crashes, while the true reasons – varied as they may be – get off the hook.
“This is not helping anyone. It certainly is not helping to promote better knowledge and understanding of why the crashes and deaths are occurring and what needs to be done to stop them.
"The fact is that stone mastic asphalt has been declared an appropriate and safe road surface by a number of thorough, independent reports.”
Mr Pitt said the newspaper reports had claimed that stone mastic asphalt was responsible for a 2007 fatality at Tanawha. This claim ignored the findings of an extensive investigation into the crash.
The investigation found that a contaminant, such as oil, was the most likely road factor in that tragic crash.
"Nowhere in the findings of that investigation is it suggested that stone mastic asphalt was responsible”, Mr Pitt said.
"To say otherwise is not only false, but misinforms and misleads the community.”
Mr Pitt said that of the 34 fatal crashes on the Cooroy to Gympie stretch of road since 2000, the vast majority had been attributed to driver behaviour or driver error. Fewer than half had occurred where the road surface was stone mastic asphalt.
Mr Pitt said Main Roads was continuing its investigation into last week's fatality, in conjunction with police.
“Once again, the newspaper reports have laid the blame squarely on the stone mastic asphalt road surface,” he said.
“However, just because there’s been a crash on a stone mastic asphalt surface doesn’t mean that the road surface is the cause.
"The crash history of the section of road where last week's crash occurred was analysed in the 2005 independent review of Main Roads' use of stone mastic asphalt.
"The review found this site showed no statistically significant increase in crash rate following the laying of stone mastic asphalt, just as the report found it was a safe and appropriate surface for Queensland roads."
"Main Roads and police are thoroughly investigating last week's crash – as is standard procedure with fatalities.
"Should this investigation make any recommendations regarding how the road might be improved, Main Roads will take action. Main Roads gives road safety the highest priority,” Mr Pitt said.
Media contact: Minister Pitt’s office 3227 8819