LESSON FOUR – Understanding Driver Risks
Individually read each article. Highlight key words, underline main ideas.
After doing so, please answer the questions under each article (you may do this quietly in
pairs)
Article One - Speeding
Police catch P-plater allegedly speeding
three times on Hume Highway
A woman has been charged and her vehicle seized after she was
stopped by police three times in one day while travelling on the
same New South Wales highway.
On April 12, police were called to the Hume Highway at Gunning,
east of Yass, after receiving multiple calls relating to alleged
dangerous driving.
Just after 10:30am highway patrol stopped the driver, who had a
provisional drivers licence, after allegedly detecting her speed
more than 20 kilometres per hour over the 110kph speed limit
and issued her with an infringement notice.
About an hour later, officers patrolling the Hume Highway say
they detected the same driver allegedly travelling 215kph in the
110kph zone at Tumblong near Gundagai.
Speeds that a P-plater was allegedly driving on the same day.
NSW Police Traffic Inspector Darren Moulds said the woman was
travelling at a "ridiculous speed".
"She posed a real danger not just to herself but to other road
users,"
he said.
The woman's licence was suspended on the spot and she was
issued a court attendance notice for June for drive recklessly or
speed in a manner dangerous and P2 driver exceed speed limit
more than 45kph.
Police also confiscated her vehicle licence plates.
'Just wanted to get to Melbourne'
The 19-year-old was again stopped a third time at 2:10pm
speeding at Table Top on the Hume Highway.
"Despite not having a drivers licence [she] drove south on the
highway and was picked up at 201kph just north of Albury,"
Inspector Moulds said.
"When she was detected at Albury for the second time doing over
200kph, police confiscated her motor vehicle."
The woman was arrested and taken to Albury police station and
charged with another count of dangerous driving or speeding in a
dangerous manner, driving with a suspended licence, operating a
vehicle with confiscated plates, and tampering with a confiscation
notice.
She will face court for those charges on April 30 and her car will
be impounded by police for three months.
Inspector Moulds said the woman "just wanted to get to
Melbourne".
He said there was "no excuse" for people to speed, especially
during periods when there was increased traffic like school
holidays.
"The idea is to get to your destination safely and enjoy your time
with your family and loved ones, and not be a part of someone
else's tragedy," he said.
Questions:
1. What was the excessive speed the driver reaches, and how
does this compare to legal limits?
2. Why might inexperienced drivers (like P-platers) be more
prone to such extreme speeding?
3. What immediate legal consequences did the driver face in
this incident?
4. Suggest a school-based campaign message that warns
about the dangers of excessive speeding for teenage
drivers.
Article Two – Mobile Phone Distraction
Distracted drivers urged to put
mobile phones away, remember
safety
Angela Meiklejohn knows only too well the impact of just one
glance away from the road.
Her 81-year-old mother, Audrey Dow, was just a few streets from
her home in the Queensland city of Mackay when another vehicle
slammed head-on into her car.
"Mum took the brunt of the impact. She had massive internal
injuries," Ms Meiklejohn told 7.30.
Her mother died in hospital later that night.
"She was a lovely lady, loving grandmother of six and very
sprightly and had a zest for life," Ms Meiklejohn said.
The family's pain was only made worse when they discovered that
the other driver had been using his phone at the time of the
accident.
"Devastating. It's the worst thing ever. If people could just realise
how dangerous it is and what the results could be," Ms Meiklejohn
said.
Police say that along with the dangers of drink-driving and
fatigue, driver distraction is a big contributor to accidents.
Most driver distraction relates to technology, but it can include
anything from texting to adjusting the radio or simply interacting
with other passengers.
Last financial year, NSW Police fined 39,000 people for using their
phones while driving, 2,000 more than the previous year.
"Our highway patrol officers are seeing people on two phones,
people with big iPads, video display devices watching movies,"
Chief Inspector Phil Brooks said.
"Those drivers are presenting a risk to themselves when they are
distracted, whether it's using the phone, having something to eat,
putting on make-up."
Distraction a factor in two thirds of crashes
Last financial year, NSW Police fined 39,000 people for using their phones
while driving (Flickr: Jim Sheaffer)
Official records suggest driver distraction accounts for at least 10
per cent of fatal accidents, and 18 per cent of accidents involving
serious injury.
Research in Australia is limited, but a study by the Virginia Tech
Transportation Institute in the United States has looked at the
increased risk posed by different activities.
The study found that the risk of an accident increased by:
Five times when using in-vehicle devices or reaching for a
phone
Six times when texting
Nine times when reaching for something other than a phone
10 times when reading
12 times when dialling a hand-held phone
Road safety researcher Professor Michael Regan, from the
Australian Road Research Board, said the real numbers in
Australia are much higher than official figures indicate.
"It's an underestimate, because when you look at studies where
drivers are observed for weeks or months or even years, like they
have in the US recently, they found that 68 per cent of the
crashes had distraction as a contributing factor," he told said.
Touch screen displays a problem
Psychologist and safety researcher Dr Bridie Scott-Parker from the
University of the Sunshine Coast is passionate about educating
young drivers about driver distraction, especially given their
connection to their mobile phones.
"We know young drivers have grown up in a generation with a
mobile phone as a normal part of their day," she told 7.30.
"Teenagers are cued to look at their phone if they hear a text
come through, or there is a phone call or a missed call.
"Education for new drivers, our youngest drivers, needs to
understand that until now mobile phones have been with them
everywhere, all the time. We need to explain how dangerous it is
to have access to a mobile phone while you are driving."
Professor Regan says modern in-car technology can contribute to
the problem.
"The trouble with these touch screen displays is, firstly, they're
not well located, they might be too far away, and once you start
interacting with them sometimes you have to go two or three
layers deep into a menu to find what you want," he said.
Our horror holiday road death toll so far begs the question of whether
efforts to improve safety have reached their limits of their effectiveness.
He's calling for a star rating, where vehicles are rated on how
distracting their screen displays are.
"It would be better, if you want to turn on the air conditioner or
find the nearest restaurant, if you could use your voice — and
that technology exists — and keep your eyes on the road," he
said.
Chief Inspector Brooks says police will continue to enforce the
law, but each individual has a role to play in safety.
"Personal responsibility is the over-arching element for road
safety," he said.
"Whilst the police are there every day looking and prosecuting
offenders, writing tickets, it is personal responsibility that can
make the difference."
For Dr Scott-Parker, the answer is simple.
"Turn your phone off," she said.
Questions:
1. Identify two statistics or facts from the article that highlight
the danger of phone distraction.
2. What emotional appeal is used in the article to persuade
drivers to avoid phone use?
3. How can young drivers mitigate the urge to respond
immediately to phone notification?
4. Rewrite the “turn your phone off” slogan to make it more
impactful for your age group.
Article Three – Drugs & Alcohol
Oatlands drunk driver Samuel Davidson
jailed for 28 years over crash that killed
four children
A drunk and drugged driver who killed four children in a crash at
Oatlands, in Sydney's west, has been sentenced to 28 years in
prison.
Samuel William Davidson lost control of his ute while excessively
speeding, mounted a kerb, and hit a group of seven children in
February last year.
Siblings Antony, 13, Angelina, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, and
their cousin, Veronique Sakr, 11, died at the scene.
Three other children were injured in the crash, one of them has
been left with a permanent brain injury.
Angelina, 12, Sienna, 9, Antony, 13, and Veronique, 11 were killed
in February last year. (Supplied)
Judge James Bennett described Davidson's driving as
"menacing" and a "horrific example" of misconduct.
"Tragedy was inevitable," Judge Bennett said.
"The magnitude of the tragedy, though, unimaginable."
Davidson, 30, pleaded guilty to several charges, including four
counts of manslaughter.
On the day of the crash, he had spent more than 12 hours
drinking, and he was three times over the legal limit when he hit
the children.
He also had cocaine and other drugs in his system.
A letter from Samuel Davidson was read out in court, saying he
was sorry. (ABC News)
The court heard that immediately after the crash Davidson, who
was uninjured, said: "What have I done? I've killed people. I'm
going to jail."
Judge Bennett sentenced Davidson to a "substantial" jail term of
28 years.
He will be eligible for parole in 2041.
The court heard witnesses saw Davidson, in the lead-up to the
crash, excessively speeding, driving on the wrong side of the road
and running red lights.
The ute continued for 90 metres after hitting the children.
Judge Bennett described the behaviour as "menacing driving".
Danny Abdallah and Leila Abdallah arrive at court this
morning. (AAP Image: Joel Carrett)
Emotional family members of the victims filled the courtroom.
Some left while injury details were read out.
Davidson wiped away tears at times during the hearing and had
the judge read out a letter of apology to the victims' families.
"I am so sorry for what happened and what I did to your wonderful
family," it said.
After the verdict, Daniel Abdallah, father of Antony, Angelina and
Sienna, said the sentencing was "another milestone in our journey
of grief".
"We will all have our hearts broken until the day we take our last
breath and no sentence can help ease that pain," he said outside
court.
Bridget Sakr, who lost her daughter in the incident, attended
court for the sentencing. (AAP Image: Joel Carrett)
"Where my disappointment lies is the way our culture loves drugs
and alcohol. That's where my frustration is, more than the driver."
He said the family had not heard from Davidson's parents but said
that "they've lost their son".
Leila Abdallah, mother of three of the children, said the
sentencing had been a "hard day" and that "there is no sentence
that will be just to what we have lost".
Veronique's mother, Bridget Sakr said that there "are no winners
from today's outcome, only losers".
"No court or sentence term issued can ever compensate for what
we've lost," she said.
Video and images from the night of the crash show chaos and
carnage at the scene, as people and bystanders in the suburban
area rushed to help.
The deaths saw a huge outpouring of grief in the community, with
hundreds attending funerals and vigils.
Daniel Abdallah addresses the media after the sentencing. (ABC
News: Jonathan Hair)
A makeshift shrine at the site was created the next day, where
family members of the children attended to pray.
"These kids were just walking innocently enjoying each other's
company, and this morning I've woke up, I've lost three kids,"
father Mr Abdallah said at the time.
Video from the night shows a shirtless and handcuffed Davidson
being led away by police.
At a pre-sentencing hearing last month, the mother of three of the
children said she was no longer the same person.
"You have killed us all, I am no longer living — just existing," Ms
Abdallah said.
Questions:
1. What substances were found in the driver’s system, and how
might each have affected his ability to drive safely?
2. How did the judge describe the driving behaviour and the
resulting tragedy?
3. According to the article, identify the message the sentencing
sent about accountability and road safety.
4. What strategies could be implemented in communities to
reduce the likelihood of similar incidents?
REFLECTION:
Choose one of the four article that impacted you the most. Write
a one paragraph reflection explaining:
What stood out to you in the story.
How it changed or reinforced your views on road
safety.
What choices you would make as a drivers or
passenger to stay safe.
EXTENSION:
Road Safety Proposal
Imagine you are part of an NSW Youth Road Safety Advisory
Panel. Based on one of the driver distractions (Speeding, Fatigue,
Mobile Phone Use, or Drugs/Alcohol):
1. Identify the biggest contribution factor from the article you
read.
2. Propose one new law or policy that could reduce the risk of
this distraction.
3. Explain in 3-4 sentences how your proposed law would work
and why it could be effective.
