February 2012

Highest level of trauma in Queensland

'Highway of Shame' is our most dangerous

Bruce Highway victim: A wrecked caravan at the side of the notorious highway just north of Gin Gin in Queensland

Stories and photos: Dennis Amor
Have your say

QUEENSLAND'S notorious Bruce Highway has been dubbed Australia's worst highway in a new report.

The 'Highway of Shame', which stretches for 1700km between Brisbane and Cairns, was described as the nation's deadliest road in the independent Australian Road Assessment Program survey carried out on behalf of the Australian Automobile Association.

The highway along the Sunshine State's eastern seaboard carries thousands of caravanners, with their numbers swelling dramatically during the winter months when southerners head north for the winter sunshine.

Many say it has been neglected and has now become Australia's 'Highway of Shame'.

According to the report, it had the highest level of road trauma on the Queensland national network, accounting for 50 percent of casualty crashes and 61 percent of deaths during 2005-09.

In fact, the nation's Highway 1 accounted for more than 17 percent of deaths on the entire national network.

The report, which scored it medium-high and high risk among much of its length, said significant investment was required for infrastructure improvements to address safety deficiencies and to cater for increasing traffic demand.

Sections of the Pacific Motorway, and the Warrego, New England and Cunningham highways made up the remaining five most dangerous sections of the top 15.

But there is some good news in the pipeline, with federal funding recently being announced for 50 overtaking lanes, fixing black spots and installing audible line markings.

"However, there is still a backlog of projects required to achieve the desired road safety benefits," the report added.

Tony and Helke Nicholas	Fred and Shirley Scofield

Caravanners talk of 'national disgrace and death trap'

CARAVANNERS admitted to being 'scared' to drive along Queensland's number one highway when Caravanning News spoke to them at a rest area just north of Gin Gin.

"It's a national disgrace and a death trap," missionaries Fred and Shirley Scofield from Rockhampton, Queensland, said. "We are scared whenever we have to drive on it."

On a scale of one to 10, the couple – who haul an 18ft 6in Jayco Westport behind their Ford Territory – gave the infamous highway a mere two.

"The booming mining industry has resulted in more heavy traffic and wide loads, but the highway is just not designed for this. It's much too narrow," they said.

The Scofields, who have been using the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and Rockhampton for 15 years, said there was an urgent need for many sections to be widened to do away with traffic travelling in the opposite direction having to "squeeze past" each other.

Driver attitude was another hazard on the highway, they said.

"People drive like they are crazy. We often see people passing on double lines. It's really terrible."

Former truckie Tony Nicholas and his wife Helke, from Gympie in Queensland, try to avoid the Bruce Highway as much as possible, preferring to take "the more courteous" inland routes instead.

They have lost count of the number of times they have been abused over the UHF radio by speeding truckies wanting to pass their LandCruiser and 20ft Lotus caravan.

"It's a race track with everyone for themselves," the couple, who run the Littlejohn Drivng School which teaches people towing and reversing techniques, said.

"I have grown up with caravans and toured for around 20 years, so I can speak with some experience," Tony added.

They described the Bruce Highway as "pretty shocking" with poor surfaces and too few rest areas.