MEMBER for Collie-Preston Mick Murray has spoken out about the high number of deaths on regional roads, saying the government needs to take more practical measures to solve the problem.
Mr Murray spoke to the Mail on Wednesday about his suggestions for improving the situation.
“There is $130m sitting idly in the Road Trauma Trust Fund and it grows with revenue from speed camera fines,” he said.
“That money is supposed to help road safety, not be left to just sit there.
“I would like to see that money paying the double time wages of extra police officers on country roads during long weekends as well as improving known blackspots.
“The cost in human lives of not using it outweighs the arguments against spending the money in the way it was intended to be used.”
He also said police need a higher visibility on country roads.
Last week, WA Premier Colin Barnett said country towns need to take more responsibility for the consistent high number of country road deaths.
“I think, and this won’t be liked, there is a greater responsibility on country communities to take some ownership of this problem and get away from a pattern of bad, irresponsible driving to one of safe and good driving,” Mr Barnett told ABC Radio on Wednesday.
“To country people out there, look at your own community please, don’t let these young guys… go out drinking and get behind the wheel.
“We can have more and more police out there but that, to me, smacks of an excuse. This is poor behaviour, poor community responsibility on an absolutely tragic situation.”
Mr Barnett admitted more police were needed to patrol country roads and that some roads are not in good enough condition.
But he also said the most obvious factor was the poor decisions being made by regional drivers, including drink driving.
Of the 60 deaths to happen on country roads in WA in 2016, 43 have happened on country roads.
