The deaths of four children in an horrific crash in the Sydney suburb of Oatlands has caused widespread heartbreak. That anguish was felt by Hunter Valley police Superintendent Chad Gillies, who penned an emotional response on Facebook.
I, like most people, was shocked by the news that four young children were killed by a motor vehicle on the weekend. I cannot imagine the pain the family of those children is going through - their lives changed forever. I also spare a thought for the family of the driver. They have also been dragged into this nightmare.
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I think about the police officers, emergency service workers and volunteers called to respond to the horrific crash scenes on our roads, day after day. I think about the medical staff trying to save lives. The impact on these professionals is high.
Like all police commanders, I regularly speak publicly about the risks on our roads. Drivers who drive with alcohol or drugs in their system. Those who drive at excessive speed or use mobile phones. Every long weekend we run high visibility operations and every weekend we arrest people for these offences.
Having given this more thought, one of our issues in Australia is we have a culture of enjoying a drink. Perhaps we have lost perspective as a community about drink driving. How often are normal 'decent' people put before the court for drink driving? Often written off as making a 'silly' mistake. They are the lucky ones; the ones still alive and able to walk away from this 'silly' mistake.
A few years ago the NSWPF worked hard to raise awareness about domestic violence. Shifting the culture and community understanding of domestic violence being a cultural or private issue between a married couple to a serious crime. Linking the criminality to domestic violence led the way to a campaign, 'No Innocent Bystanders'. It was said; we all have a role to play to call out domestic violence and speak up for those who could not defend themselves.
I wonder if shifting the mentality around road trauma can have a positive impact? In the spirit of 'No Innocent Bystanders' I urge us all to make a collective effort to reduce drink driving. Call out such behaviour. Whether that be a spouse, family member, mate or work colleague. If you see someone drinking or taking drugs and intending on driving, do your best to intervene and prevent it. Worst case scenario, call the police. You are doing the right thing by them and the public. You may prevent a death or serious injury.
Drink driving is a serious crime that can destroy lives and communities. It is everyone's responsibility to say enough is enough. We share the same roads and we share the pain when innocent lives are lost. Police will continue to patrol roads to enforce laws and educate the public, but together, we can all do more to save lives.
