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Prime7 News special: It Won’t Happen to Me

Ray Martin will present his third special for Prime7 looking at road trauma in regional Australia.

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Ray Martin will present his third special for Prime7 News with It Won’t Happen to Me, looking at road trauma in regional Australia.

Last year, 380 lives were lost on our roads in NSW, and a staggering two-thirds of the road toll occurred in country areas. Country residents are four times more likely to be killed on the road than someone who lives in the city.

Premiering 7.30pm Monday 27th November, It Won’t Happen to Me will reveal the shocking reality of fatalities on regional roads and who is to blame for the growing road toll. Featuring emotionally charged first-hand accounts, Ray Martin confronts the sobering consequences of road trauma and the impact on local communities and reveals why we continue to ignore the dangers. It Won’t Happen to Me is the third public affairs special produced by Prime7 and presented by Ray Martin in the past 12 months.

7.30pm Monday 27th November on Prime7.

14 Responses

  1. Fair call David
    We have many road safety initiatives that are connected directly or indirectly to road trauma I believe one of the biggest is Speed camera’s the revenue from these is enormous, however if they worked they would not generate any revenue.
    All our current and future punitive measures are like Speed camera’s and will give the same results and would fit easily to being regarded as revenue raising due to their substantial inefficiencies.
    Should we get rid of these punitive devices. No. Why? Because they represent half the solution, the other half is the installation of driver incentives into driver management as a balance to the fines and penalties. this will create value and fairness which people will recognise then good driving behaviour will become the norm, efficiency’s will ramp up and road trauma will be addressed.

  2. Dear Ray
    Good show
    It is difficult to see how we will ever get the desired results to reduce the deaths and injuries whilst the thinking still revolves around technology and penalties rather than the core problem that is driver behaviour.
    Even with a basic understanding of human motivations, It is clear we have to address the imbalance between positive and negative reinforcement. Bad driving behaviour as described by the retired police officer on the show ” people driving with their head up there bums” is the biggest cause of deaths and injuries on our roads. We must correct the imbalance in driver management by installing driver incentives as a balance to the fines and penalties, thus creating a shift in driving culture to ultimately promote positive driving attitudes.
    Further to this embracing early driver education inclusive of positive reinforcement before learners start…

  3. Well I am astounded by the fact that no one has responded to what I have said in my submission. Let me assure you all that anyone forced to go through what I have had to endure over this incident, that you would be up in arms about it and wanting answers just as I am, especially since apparently there is nothing that I can do but accept what has happened and move on. Not on your Life will I do this.!!.

    2. Dear Warwick
      Sorry to hear you had a bad experience. Whilst I can’t comment on your specific situation. I can say that bad driving behaviour on our roads is quite common. The governments historical response to bad driving behaviour has been exclusively punitive, that simply doesn’t provide the desired results.
      To improve driving behaviour we really need a system that recognises both good and bad driving behaviour. With the inclusion of incentives, we create a positive driving culture, promoting driver responsibility across the board that will flow onto new drivers for generations to come.
      This will make the roads safer for everyone including pedestrians like yourself.

      1. I have to agree whole heartedly, however no matter what you do or is done unfortunately there are people who will never learn until the worst case scenario happens, even then they choose to not see their stupidity.

        1. That is correct, and also the reason why we need to embrace not only penalties but also Incentives as a balance to those penalties, and through doing so we will create value and fairness that people will recognise.
          This will give rise to good driving behaviour.

  4. HI Fatherof5 Thank you for your questions.
    To be effective, we propose a structured system of driver incentives alongside the current system of penalties. History shows us that a balanced approach of incentives and penalties work best e.g… Who would work for penalties alone, if they had a choice?
    People like to be treated fairly and see value in what they do however, the current driver management system does not provide this.
    Its expected that the initial set up of the incentive scheme would be provided by the Federal Government, to include all Australians and could eventually include sponsorship from private enterprise as well.

    1. Dear KI

      I have been thinking about your answer. Why would the Federal Government pay? Haven’t the Health Insurance companies and to a lesser extent the Car Insurance companies got the most to gain financially? They should support your initiative?
      Regards
      Fo5

      1. Father of five
        What you say is quite right, the private sector especially beneficiaries like insurance companies, health funds inclusive of State and territory Governments all have a significant part to play.
        The Federal Government is the main beneficiary by far, with its legislative powers, and the ability to address the nation it makes them the logical choice to present an incentive based umbrella scheme that also recognise the autonomy of our various governments as they control their own roads.
        The cost to us is conservatively $32 Billion per year and rising, the federal Governments exposure is around $10 Billion per year, the scheme could be funded for a fraction of that. This alone would make it attractive to all parties with an ongoing commitment, especially the federal Government that has the added responsibility of the health and happiness of the nation.

  5. On the 16 /9/17 I was run over by a car in Inverell as if the event wasn’t bad enough and my injuries were not that bad, although I am still feeling it. What really is the problem is the refusal by the Police to investigate it properly as the driver refuses to own up, there are so many holes in his story you could drive a truck through it, including blaming the lighting, saying I stepped in front of him (in fact I was in the middle of the road) and he cut across the intersection, I am left with no where to go and to pick up the pieces.

  6. Dear Ray
    Congratulations on your upcoming TV special “It Won’t Happen to Me.” This topic is of great interest to me and my family as we unfortunately lost a child on the roads, in 2015.
    Having experienced the ripple of devastation that road trauma causes, and realising the senseless waste of life and opportunity that goes with it, I made it my mission to find a solution to the problem that affects not only our family and our community, but those all over the world.
    By researching the history of driving, and gaining better understanding of human behaviour, the answer was difficult to work out but ultimately simple. Even with huge improvements in vehicle safety, better roads, the inclusion of seat belts and with the ever-increasing penalties and deterrents to address driving behaviour the one thing that is missing is the inclusion of incentives to reward good driving behaviour.
    We…

    1. Are you suggesting that we get rid of penalties and reward good drivers instead. Where’s the science that such a radical change in direction would work.Who would pay for the rewards?

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