Walkerston has been rocked by another young motorist fatality, with the death of 18 year old Cody Ward, last week.

In the past 18 months there have been four fatal accidents in the Walkerston division.  Two of the victims were under 20 years of age. 

Road Accident Action Group (RAAG) chairman, Noel Lange, says that Walkerston is a trouble spot because it is part of the main flow of the mining sector and heavy vehicles that travel on the highway to Mackay.

Walkerston Police Constable Carl Cutler says that while every road crash fatality shocks the locals, when a young life is taken it especially impacts the community.

‘There is an emphasis put on it because they are young and it is such a waste of a life,' says Miller, a local resident and parent of a teen who survived a road crash. ‘All the kids seem to be really devastated that one of their mates has been killed but I'm not sure if it really comes home.  As time passes, do they forget?'

Miller says the community has experienced an ongoing problem with young males and their tendency to drive fast cars.

‘The boys have always been into fast cars and ones that sound really good and unfortunately they are the ones that have more power,' says Miller.

The crash involving Ward is still under police investigation.  While the final cause has not been determined Constable Cutler believes that speed and the influence of alcohol contributed to the crash.

In his 15 years of experience Cutler says the main factors contributing to crashes involving young motorists are inattentiveness and speed.

‘The mentality that "it won't happen to me" does exist,' says Cutler.  ‘All of these people who have had these crashes, got up in the morning expecting to go about their daily business and go home to their families at night and they didn't make it,' he said.

RAAG, a voluntary organization of business people, government agencies and community members, is tackling the major factors related to road crashes in the area.  At present RAAG is focusing on the consequences of fatigue within the mining sector and the driving behaviours of young motorists.

‘Young people in today's society will engage in risk-taking behaviours without realising the consequences there of,' says Lange.

Last month RAAG released a DVD program titled ‘The Ripple Effect' funded by Xstrata Coal, in association channel Seven.

The DVD shows interviews of two young people who were jailed as a result of a death of a passenger.  Family members, emergency services, hospital staff and undertakers also tell their stories.

Lange says the underlying message of ‘The Ripple Effect' is that one incident can impact so many lives.

The DVD is being distributed to local high schools and driving schools.  It is also available to parents of young motorists.

Lange says RAAG is now working on a campaign that encourages passengers to persuade their driver to think before they act.  While the passengers choose to get into a car, the driver is ultimately responsible as ‘they are in control of the machine,' he says.

In a statewide initiative to reduce the number of teen road fatalities, the Queensland Government has implemented a new young driver legislation targeted at learner, P1 and P2 drivers. 

The system restricts young motorists from driving at certain times, limits the number of passengers and prohibits the use of hands free mobile services.

Further restrictions focus on the make and model of the vehicle.  It is envisioned that the legislation will educate young motorist to make more informed decisions.