Fraser's sand road claims life | QLD News | Breaking News in Queensland
Fraser's sand road claims life
The wrecked 4WD after the rollover on Fraser Island yesterday when a Japanese tourist died.
A JAPANESE tourist is dead and seven others are recovering in hospital following a 4WD rollover on the eastern side of Fraser Island yesterday.
The vehicle flipped north of the Dundabura camping area at 9.40am when the driver swerved to avoid undulations in the sand.
A male passenger died at the scene and two men, including the male driver, had to be flown to the Royal Brisbane Hospital for urgent treatment.
Four others were flown to Hervey Bay Hospital with serious injuries and a fifth sustained only minor injuries.
The group, all aged in their 20s, were holiday makers from Japan. A number of them were believed to have been thrown from the vehicle during the rollover.
Yesterday’s incident was the 43rd serious car accident on the island in the past six years and came less than a week after the Queensland Government delayed laws affecting 4WD hire companies on the island.
The new laws, due to come into effect this month, will reduce the number of passengers allowed in vehicles and will ban loads on roofs.
The new rules have come in response to an accident earlier this year in which two tourists were killed.
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan extended the deadline to allow 4WD operators more time to make their vehicles compliant.
The rollover also adds weight to calls from Fraser Island locals who say that the roads that criss-cross the island have become “sand traps” and need to be fixed.
Fraser Island Taxi service owner Lisa Walker believes it’s only a matter of time before the high tide road from Hook Point claims a life.
“It’s not just soft – it’s dangerous – and the corrugations are really bad,” she said.
The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the rollover.
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Posted by dingosimon from Boonenne, Queensland
14 December 2009 12:05 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
While all this is very sad that someone should die so needlessly, it gets back to that accidents dont just happen.
Many of these 2 day Tourists probably have had no previous experience in 4WDriving and especially on sand. Many get sucked into driving fast on the sand and most are probably skylarking around and not paying attention to where they are driving.
Yes there are undulations, washouts, soft spots etc and you have to drive accordingly.
You dont hear of the local residents killing themselves driving along the beach do you ?
In this accident it appears the 4WD was not over loaded and did not have a roof rack ,so to me the accident was due to speed.
I think the speed limit should be reduced to about 60 - 70 kph and all visitors to the Island be informed of this. But at the same time you cant stop people from behaving irrationally .
And I agree with Lisa Walker, anyone who has been on the inland road knows that it is dreadful and a accident waiting to happen.
Why doesnt DERM have a full time Road Crew out there maintaining these roads, strewth the Govt make $m's from the Tourists, how about putting some money back into the Island ??????
Posted by ritchieritch from Eumundi, Queensland
14 December 2009 1:35 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Over the past 9 years as a tour guide on the Island, many accidents both great and small have been witnessed. Less suffering would be the result if the laws were changed to target those that seem to be the cause of these problems, the very inexperienced sand driver. A 20 min dvd is not what I would call adequate experience so when will the tag along tour be law. One experienced person in radio contact keeping a sensible eye on his charge, of maybe 4- 4wd’s. The only other way I see is to have separate licenses for sand driving as you do for other mediums such as boat licenses for water.
Posted by dunno from Mount Pleasant, Queensland
14 December 2009 4:52 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Ban tourists, they are a drain on our valuable water supply, they bathe, wash, cook, pee and poop.