A driver has been charged following a fatal crash in the Coffs Harbour area yesterday.
About 12.40pm (Thursday, 25 April, 204), emergency services were called to Waterfall Way, on Dorrigo Mountain, after reports of a crash involving a car and motorcycle.
The motorcycle rider, a 54-year-old man, and the pillion passenger, a 15-year-old girl, died at the scene.
The driver, a 34-year-old man, was uninjured and was taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital for mandatory testing.
Officers from Coffs-Clarence Police District established a crime scene which was forensically examined by specialist officers from the Crash Investigation Unit.
Following the investigation, the 34-year-old was taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of negligent driving occasioning death.
He was refused bail to appear before Coffs Harbour Local Court today (Friday, 26 April, 2024).
I understand that in Australia roads are a state and not federal responsibility, but in my opinion a lot of lives could be saved if all road users had to go to driving school and take instruction from a government approved driving instructor. In Germany this is the case and while not the case in the UK, it is unlikely a learner driver would pass their driving test without certified instruction. The same thing is taught the same way to every driver and a big advantage of proper instruction is people gain confidence as well as the ability to make good decisions. Millions are spent on safer roads but drivers learn from a friend or someone in the family and bad traits may be passed on or or not nipped in the bud early. Australia wide there would be employment opportunities for instructors and everyone would be reading from the same book regarding what they are taught. In remote area’s, obviously, a different system may have to used if there are no instructors available. I believe this approach could significantly bring down the accident rate in Australia which is statistically way worse than the UK and Germany for instance