1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,120 Speaker 1: Now we know. The lives lost on Northern Territory roads 2 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:07,600 Speaker 1: now stand at thirty. Following two fatal crashes across the weekend. 3 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: A twenty two year old man died in a single 4 00:00:10,160 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: vehicle crash in Alice Springs. It's understood that he was 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,079 Speaker 1: not wearing a seat belt and succumbed to his injuries 6 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: after being ejected from the car. A sixty five year 7 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: old motorcyclist also lost his life after crashing in Lichfield. 8 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: Police are pleading with motorists to do the right thing, 9 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: saying that most crashes are preventable. Joining me on the line, 10 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:36,640 Speaker 1: is NTI Acting Superintendent Brendan Lindner. Good morning to you. Brendan. 11 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,280 Speaker 1: Good morning, Katie, Thanks so much for your time this morning. Firstly, 12 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: can you shed some more light for us on the 13 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:44,320 Speaker 1: Alice Springs crash. 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, so, that crash was reported to police at about 15 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 2: seven in the morning. That crash occurred probably a few 16 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: hours before that, but about fifty k's out of west 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:05,680 Speaker 2: of Springs, a single vehicle crashed driven by twenty two 18 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:11,279 Speaker 2: year old. We believe speed may be involved in that crash, 19 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 2: or excessive speed orhes. The major crash detectives are working 20 00:01:19,319 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 2: with the Southern Traffic officers in the in the traffic 21 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 2: section there to work out exactly how that crash occurred. 22 00:01:26,680 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 2: The vehicle left the road, rolled, the driver was ejected, 23 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 2: suffered catastrophic injuries daily, and yeah, it's just the number 24 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:47,080 Speaker 2: of lives we've lost on the road. It just continues unabated. 25 00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: It's absolutely terrible. And Brendan, you know, like I've seen 26 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,680 Speaker 1: you have to do so many press conferences, so many 27 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:59,400 Speaker 1: media interviews, so many discussions throughout this year. In fact, 28 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: you know, like I've I've never seen you have to 29 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: be out so much speaking in the media. And that 30 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: is because I mean, you are there investigating these terrible 31 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: fatal crashes and we're currently sitting at thirty for the year. 32 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: It's like, it's unbelievable for all of the wrong reasons. 33 00:02:18,240 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: It is unbelievable. It's outrageous. It's you know, really, this 34 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 2: has not started for us at the start of the year. 35 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 2: This sort of started for us late late September last year. 36 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,919 Speaker 2: But you know, we've had thirty deaths in the first 37 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:34,919 Speaker 2: six months of this year. You know, that was off 38 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 2: the back of a very busy second half of last year. 39 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 2: So we had twenty five people die in the second 40 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 2: half of last year, you know, and we talk about numbers, 41 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 2: we talk about stats, but every one of these is 42 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 2: a life lost, and each life lost, as you well know, 43 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:55,600 Speaker 2: affects so many people in the community, friends, family, we're colleagues, 44 00:02:55,960 --> 00:03:00,639 Speaker 2: sporting clubs. It one death, the ripple effects of one 45 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 2: death reaches so many people. And to have so many occur, 46 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:09,239 Speaker 2: you know, comparatively to six last year the same time 47 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 2: last year, I mean, that's five times the number of 48 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 2: that we've repeatedly said. You know, I tried to highlight 49 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 2: just how bad the situation is in the Northern Territory. 50 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: You know, comparatively to other countries in the world, NT 51 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: is right up there with some of the worst stats, 52 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: excluding the African countries. Perhaps it's right up there with 53 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: some of the worst stats in the world, and by 54 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 2: far and away the highest in Australia spaces. So it's 55 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 2: it's terrible. And these all these fatals. In fact, I 56 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: hazard a guess probably everyone this year has involved elements 57 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: of the fatal five, which we routinely talk about. But 58 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 2: you know, in recent years I've been talking about the 59 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:59,200 Speaker 2: fatal one, which for the NT is alcohol and drugs. 60 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:04,840 Speaker 2: And you know, I'm not fully I haven't fully drilled 61 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: down into and we're still obviously investigating the most recent ones, 62 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,040 Speaker 2: but up until a couple of months ago, we were 63 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 2: still tracking well over ninety percent of the fatals in 64 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 2: the NT are linked to crashes involving alcohol or drugs. 65 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 2: So you don't have to be a brain surgeon to 66 00:04:21,920 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: work out how we can reduce that. The problem for 67 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 2: the NT, for drivers, for pedestrians, and it's a problem 68 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:36,560 Speaker 2: that you know, spans more than just the roape. I 69 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 2: was lost on roads and impacts so many problems in society. 70 00:04:42,440 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 2: It's alcohol and. 71 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: Drugs, Like you're spot on, and then you think to 72 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 1: yourself the fact that they can be prevented, This loss 73 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: of life can be prevented in a lot of cases, 74 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 1: you know, without the misuse of alcohol and drugs. Brendon, 75 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:00,400 Speaker 1: I'll go a bit more into that in justice. Can 76 00:05:00,440 --> 00:05:02,920 Speaker 1: you just tell me in terms of the Litchfield crash 77 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: over the weekend, do we have much more information at 78 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 1: this point in time or where are things at with 79 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: that investigation. 80 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:16,360 Speaker 2: So that's being investigated by down traffic officers. But essentially 81 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:22,239 Speaker 2: the mail rider was riding with a bunch of other riders. 82 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:28,039 Speaker 2: His bike left the road and he crashed. He crashed 83 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: with a into a tree, or he collided with a tree. 84 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 2: Why left the road? He's under investigation at this point. 85 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:35,919 Speaker 1: Okay, we do. 86 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:38,480 Speaker 2: At the moment. 87 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: Now, going back to these stats. So by the look 88 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,440 Speaker 1: of things, we are now like we're on track for 89 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: the worst road toll in ten years? Is that the case? 90 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: Well, probably worse than that, probably since two thousand and eight. 91 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,280 Speaker 1: Wow, now you touched on before, you know, alcohol and 92 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: drugs being being a factor here. You and I have 93 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:04,599 Speaker 1: also spoken on numerous occasions about the number of pedestrian 94 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: deaths over the course of this year. How many of 95 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:12,040 Speaker 1: the lives lost on our roads have been pedestrians? 96 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:15,039 Speaker 2: Yeah, so by my account six or the thirty. So 97 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 2: that twenty percent, which is pretty consistent in recent years 98 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:24,240 Speaker 2: in the NT, twenty percent of fadals involve pedestrians. We 99 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:30,159 Speaker 2: recently did a deep dive of analysis onto the circum 100 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 2: onto the factors I suppose involved in pedestrian fadals. Yeah, 101 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 2: and we looked at we looked at all. There was 102 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 2: thirty four pedestrians killed between in the five years between 103 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen and twenty twenty three, and we found that 104 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:52,480 Speaker 2: one hundred percent of them were Aboriginal people, and ninety 105 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,960 Speaker 2: seven percent of those involved alcohol or drugs as a 106 00:06:56,000 --> 00:06:59,200 Speaker 2: factor in the crash. Wow, and one hundred percent of 107 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 2: those occurred at night or in the sort of decreasing 108 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:08,960 Speaker 2: daylight hours between five twenty seven pm and five fifteen am. 109 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 2: So these are the cold hard facts. I suppose, Brendan, can. 110 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: We be doing more? Do you think, like, do you 111 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,320 Speaker 1: think we need to embark on some kind of different 112 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: education campaign? What can we do in this space? 113 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,640 Speaker 2: It's a it's a difficult it's a difficult scenario. It's 114 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 2: a conundrum. It's but what I see is all of 115 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: these are involving alcohol or drugs. So I see the 116 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 2: live loss on road as a symptom of the problem. 117 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:47,160 Speaker 2: The problem is in society alcohol and drugs. We are 118 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 2: not going to enforce our way out of a social 119 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 2: problem of people living rough next to next to roadways, 120 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: consuming alcohol as the primary part of their day. And 121 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 2: that's that's the reality of the situation. You know, no 122 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 2: amount of sort of road enforcement road campaigns are going 123 00:08:12,160 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 2: to treat the that's simply treating the symptom the problem 124 00:08:16,240 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: goes back to access to alcohol, supply of alcohol, abuse 125 00:08:20,880 --> 00:08:23,040 Speaker 2: of alcohol, and drugs. Of course. 126 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: Yeah. Look, and it's something that we talk about a 127 00:08:25,480 --> 00:08:29,680 Speaker 1: lot on this show in different ways, and we've got 128 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: to bring you know, we've got to bring this road 129 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:34,000 Speaker 1: toll down. We've got to stop these situations from happening. 130 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: And as you've said, you know, there's a lot of 131 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,280 Speaker 1: factors that play there, and the drugs and alcohol are 132 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: a huge part of it. I know police are ramping 133 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: up those road patrols, cracking down on speeding, drugs and 134 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: drink driving. What else can sort of be done at 135 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: this point? What is your message really to territorians today. 136 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 2: Well, for drivers out there, avoid the fatal five for starters, 137 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,920 Speaker 2: don't drink and drive. You know, a binding by that 138 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:06,560 Speaker 2: rule you're that will solve most of the problems. It's 139 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:10,240 Speaker 2: as simple as that. But obviously, speeding is an issue, 140 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 2: lack of wearing seatbelts is an issue. People driving fatigued 141 00:09:14,559 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 2: is an issue. Most fatal crashes in the territory occur 142 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 2: due to in attention or distraction due to fatigue and alcohol. 143 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:30,719 Speaker 2: Most of those crashes are motorists will just sort of 144 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,160 Speaker 2: drift off the road because of that distruction and attention 145 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 2: because they are intoxicated or fatigued. Now, if you're speeding 146 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,720 Speaker 2: or not wearing your seatbot at the time, the chances 147 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,400 Speaker 2: of your surviving that crash are very slim. 148 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 1: Well, Brendan, I really appreciate your time this morning, Appreciate 149 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: the work that you and all of the other police officers. 150 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: You know that all of you do, but particularly when 151 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 1: you're going out to those terrible fatal crashes. I know 152 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:59,400 Speaker 1: it can't be an easy job. In fact, it would 153 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:02,640 Speaker 1: be really, really difficult. So I appreciate the time that 154 00:10:02,679 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: you've given us this morning, and ye hopefully we're not 155 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: speaking to you again too soon. 156 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 2: Hopefully not, but thanks for the opportunity to continue pushing 157 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 2: the message. 158 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:14,559 Speaker 1: Thanks mate, very much appreciated.