The dangers of travelling Outback roads at night have once again been highlighted by a horror crash in the Northern Territory.
A 35-year-old Queensland man was seriously injured last week when the car he was travelling in hit a herd of camels on the Lasseter Highway about 60 kilometres east of Yulara.
The man was airlifted to Alice Springs Hospital with serious head injuries. Police say the Hyundai Sonata hit two camels, seriously injuring the man, and leaving the driver, and another passenger with minor injuries.
Sergeant Shaun Gill of Yulara Police said the crash was a wake-up call to motorists of the dangers of travelling outback roads in the dark.
“This is not the first time we have had to deal with car crashes involving animals on these remote roads,” he said. “Motorists should be wary of the very real dangers of hitting wandering stock or large animals like camels which tend to roam across roads, especially at night when there is not so much traffic.”
In the Northern Territory between 2003 and 2006, 9 people were injured in 26 separate motor vehicle collisions involving camels and horses. In 2008, two people were killed when their vehicle hit a camel while travelling near Alice Springs.
When you also take into account the increased likelihood of running into other wildlife such as kangaroos at night, there really is only one way to go.
“It is far more sensible and safer to plan your trip so that you arrive at your destination during daylight hours when there is less chance of this sort of collision,” said Sergeant Gill.
Very sensible advice.
