BUNBURY Traffic officer Senior Constable Rob Malcolm joined the police force in the UK in 2002 and moved to Western Australia in 2008.
Since then he has enjoyed time as an officer in the Goldfields, Perth and now Bunbury.
He is passionate about saving lives on our roads and has shared his thoughts on the Fairfax WA Arrive Alive campaign which hopes to lower the road toll in 2015.
I CAN remember all the fatal crashes I've been to.
But there is one thing that never changes - the horrible sight of a family being told their loved one has died in a crash.
The worst time is when you have to tell a family member their loved one died as a result of poor choices they made, whether it be from speeding, drink driving, not wearing a seatbelt, fatigue, inattention or a combination of these.
The first fatal crash I attended was on a hot summer’s day in England and it was the fourth crash my partner and I had attended that shift.
When the call came in we couldn't believe we were going to a fourth crash and early reports indicated it was just a minor crash between a car and a motorbike.
We thought we were just going to breath test the driver and clear the road.
How wrong we were.
When we turned a corner we were shocked to see the paramedic doing CPR on the rider and he couldn't be saved.
My partner and I had never been to a fatal crash before and it was a daunting prospect for both of us.
Fast-forward nearly 13 years and I'm now a traffic officer in the South West after stints in Kalgoorlie and Perth.
As an investigator you have to remain neutral and sometimes that means not always giving the family the answer or result they want.
When I visit a family, I will tell them as much or as little as they want to know.
Some families want to know the intricate graphic details about what happened and what the injuries were while others just want to know if their loved one suffered or died quickly.
There are times where providing closure to families and seeing justice served in the courthouse can be rewarding.
But it is not always possible to provide closure and justice.
Sometimes you can only give a family one of the two.
And sometimes neither.
I'm lucky that I have family in the police and a father who used to be a firefighter that I can talk to about the things I've seen.
Everyone copes differently and every crash is unique - some you can think about for weeks after.
The WA police provide great support and if you are not coping you have to be honest and say so.
As the police officer you have to be the strong one particularly when there are friends and family around who are upset.
But that dreaded visit never gets any easier.
So now I'm imploring drivers to heed this message.
Slow down, take your time, be patient and be forgiving of others mistakes.
Do not assume that somebody has seen you or will give way to you.
If you are going to be driving don't consume alcohol or other intoxicants, take plenty of breaks and plan ahead so you know where you are going to stop for a rest.
Drive to the conditions, your level of ability and your vehicles capabilities.
Finally, get your kids to take driving lessons from a professional instructor and teach them that a vehicle can be a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.
Because I don't want the next door I knock on to be yours.
