With four young lives cut tragically short on Ipswich district roads in the last week, police based at Ripley are urging drivers to slow down, be patient and most of all, to drive home the message that road safety is everyone’s business.
Acting Superintendent Ben McKenzie said the latest four killed on our road, include a 16-year-old Redbank Plains boy, two teenagers in Greenbank and a 23-year-old Bracken Ridge woman, declared deceased after a two-vehicle fatal traffic crash at Lake Wivenhoe.
“I watched the footage of the officers’ camera shirts on Sunday and it wasn’t a pleasant scene,” Superintendent McKenzie said.
“Those police officers went to work not expecting to see what they saw.
“It was quite a traumatic and graphic scene they were confronted with.”
The District Officer said Saturday’s incident had an endless ripple effect.
“My first concern is the woman’s family, the immediate people involved there and emergency service workers on site,” he said.
He said anger was the reaction in Esk and Minden.
And for drivers who might take risks, he had tough questions: ‘Was it really worth doing that? Or was there a risk that could have been mitigated by taking their time from getting from A to B?
“I really encourage that group to have some self reflection over this.
The loss of more and more lives on Ipswich’ smaller highways and rural roads, coupled with immense population growth, begged the quesiton: was enough being done?
“We regularly hold workgroups with Transport and Main Roads and Ipswich City Council to have speed zones reduced, ripple strips added, barriers put on certain corners, things like that,” the superintendent said.
“We are always conscious of it and it’s always spoken about.
Police say the Learner Driver Nights program at Queensland Raceway is a way to advance better driving habits.
“It’s a great chance for us to talk to drivers about being prepared for the unexpected, the fatal five and their behaviors and emotions behind the wheel,” he said.
The program has amassed more than 2000 participants since its inception in December 2022.
In Ipswich, the loss of seven lives so far this year is an increase of five year on year.
Previously our annual total, for 2024 and 2025, was 34 lives lost.
Asked to pinpoint a main factor in the recent fatalities, Superintendent McKenzie pointed to driver behavior.
“It’s not being prepared for the unexpected. It’s not driving to the conditions, it’s being distracted and choosing a course of conduct that results in consequences of a crash.
“That’s probably the best way to put it, without being unfair or speaking ill-advised for those who have passed away.
With the looming Easter School Holidays soon upon us, he said Ipswich Police will be out in force.
“We’re running an intensive operation as part of Operation Yankee Forge.
“We’ll also have pop ups planned with police beats in the community.”
