australia's worst road accidents Page 8

Australia’s worst road accidents are the grim reminders none of us asked for. The 1989 Kempsey bus crash near Clybucca on the Pacific Highway killed 35 people, and just ten weeks earlier the Grafton bus crash claimed 21 lives—two hammer blows that drove highway upgrades and tougher fatigue and drug-driving rules. Other mass-casualty crashes have involved coaches and trucks on undivided highways, with the usual villains: speed, fatigue, impairment, and poor road design. The national road toll peaked in the 1970s but has since fallen dramatically per capita; still, more than 1,000 people die on our roads each year. If there’s a takeaway, it’s painfully simple: safe speeds, rested drivers, seatbelts, and divided roads save lives. Arrive late, not legendary.