She says ...

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 19

She says ...

Road deaths are down this year: something for which we should all be grateful. But I do not think that the Minister of Transport should become too eloquent in putting down the drop to the efforts of the Ministry, and the drink-driving campaign. I don’t doubt that they’ve helped. But I’ll wager that the most important factor has been a drop in traffic. Petrol consumption’s down — that, at least, seems clear, even if the rather bumbling attempts to find out and tell us just how much has been saved, have produced little other information.

So if we’ve got less cars on the road, and less petrol used, people are doing less mileage, right? Even if some of the saving

might have come from better driving habits and better-tuned cars. The oil news continues to get worse. The Government still vacillates, under the guise of “careful consideration,” on alternative fuels. Ministers continue to contradict each other on the true situation. Australians have been told that they can expect petrol rationing by the year’s end. In spite of the Prime Minister’s remarks to the contrary, and much as I dislike the idea, I can’t see that our prospects are any better.

Things are going to get a lot worse, I’m sure. So it’s up to all of us — especially the selfish many who’ve made no effort so far — to do our bit to cut down on wasteful use of our precious patrol. Think before you drive. — Barbara Petre.