Western Australia gov't still badgering motorists despite fall in road deaths

Good news for WA drivers:

 We have reduced death, and maintained serious injury numbers on our roads (despite substantial population increases). ...  Broadly, [over the last three decades] we have halved the number of deaths while our population has nearly doubled.

Perth, where WA's population is concentrated, is actually a very safe place to drive.

Country roads, especially in remote areas, are rather more dangerous, however: police statistics show 119 road deaths in regional WA in 2009 whereas only 74 died in metropolitan crashes.

Rather than attempt to reduce the country road toll the government is spending $900,000 on a road safety campaign aimed at metropolitan drivers featuring ultralame down-loadable ring tones advising drivers not to pick up their phone when behind the wheel. Hit the link immediately above and click through to the Channel 9 report showing viewer reactions.

Police Minister Rob Johnson isn't worried about the cost, or the campaign's lameness:

It's a lot of money but the beauty is it's the people who are speeding who are paying for it.

If the money could be better spent somewhere else, it doesn't make any difference where it comes from.