Could Courtesy Curb Car Crashes?

Online, January 27, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Hervey Bay, Queensland Australia (January 27th 2010) - "Could Courtesy Curb Car Crashes in Australia in 2010"? is a question being asked by many Queensland residents the day after Australia Day.

Australia Day was celebrated in style in Hervey Bay with Australian flags of all sizes waving gaily from vehicles as they went about their recreation.

However, the outpouring of National pride and gratitude was not observed in their road courtesies at the biggest shopping centre in Hervey Bay when one car pulled out in front of an oncoming vehicle with their indicator light flashing that they were about to turn into the shopping centre. The vehicle leaving the shopping centre couldn't wait the few seconds for the vehicle to pull in before they pulled out.

One witness to the incident who didn't want to be named, said "They can fly the Australian flag but pity they can't have some Australian manners to match" which just about sums up why the road toll in Australia is climbing steadily with a disproportionate number of young males aged 17 to 25 represented in the annual road statistics.

The Advertiser/Sunday Mail reported 26th January 2010 by adelaidenow.com.au that "another three male youths from Mt Compass - 17, 18 and 18 - were killed and a fourth, 17, from Hope Forest, sustained minor injuries when their car ploughed into a tree on Wood Cone Rd, about 600m from Victor Harbor Rd, just south of Mount Compass"

If this group of young drivers were put back into a class room and taught consideration for others and social courtesy before they qualified for their licence, could these mandatory lessons help to curb Australia's rising road toll?

Lack of consideration for others and social courtesy and the "me first" syndrome of today can be observed in many facets of everyday life but when it gets combined with cars and testosterone it seems to be a deadly combination.

Young people are not the only ones afflicted with this "me first" syndrome as it appears to be passed down from the parents but when a young male full of testosterone, driving know-how, bravado and out to impress his mates practices the actions it puts everyone else on the road at risk. For some reason, some people seem to think it is their right to push ahead regardless of others and have no thought to the consequences of their actions.

Changing this 'me first' attitude and lack of social courtesy and inconsideration for others; could go a long way towards curbing our car crashes if we all showed and practised being better Australians by simply practising considerate and more socially acceptable behaviour on our roads.