EDITORIAL: Deterrence is crucial in cutting road toll

When he made the decision to pile into a car filled with his mates in September 2021, it wouldn’t have occurred to 15-year-old Tom Saffioti that he was putting his life in another’s hands. Nor would the thought have crossed the mind of the 18-year-old P-plater behind the wheel that night, or the other two boys in the car. Young people — even the smart, sensible ones — are hardwired to take risks. That’s why it’s up to the adults to put rules in place to keep them safe. Tom was killed that night, along with his friend Mark Bogoni, 17. The other three boys in the car were injured. Young people don’t fear losing their lives on the road. To a teenager, death is a foreign concept. Something that happens to other people. Not them, and not the people they care about. They do, however, fear losing their licences, and with it their long-yearned for freedom. Our police need to show zero tolerance towards driving offences committed by P-platers — for their own safety and the safety of people around them. It’s the only way the message will get through to them and the only way we can drive lasting behavioural change on the roads. Tom’s mother Samantha, who happens to be the cousin of Deputy Premier and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti, is pushing for more restrictions to be put on P-platers. She wants all P-platers to be limited to carrying a single passenger. Similar laws already exist in other States. It’s impossible to know if such a law existed in WA in 2021 if Tom would still be alive today. But there’s a chance he, or one of the four other boys in the car that night, would have spoken up, had they known what they were doing was illegal. Premier Roger Cook says the Government is “actively considering” bringing WA in line with the other States by putting passenger restrictions in place. Police Commissioner Col Blanch too is supportive of the push. If new laws are put in place, it’s important they’re enforced. In reality, it’s not just young people who think they’re invincible on the roads. Regardless of our age, we’re all guilty of it. We sneak a glance at our phones while driving. We let our speed creep up on familiar roads. We do things we know are stupid. We know people die on the roads. So far this year, there have been 149 deaths on WA roads, making it the worst year in a decade. And despite knowing all this, we don’t seriously think it could happen to us. Deterrence is everything. And that means consequences. We need more cops out there, showing zero tolerance towards those displaying stupid or reckless behaviour, and thereby putting the lives of themselves and others at risk. It’s the best weapon we have in reducing our road toll.