UNLESS you are a police officer or work with emergency services you probably don’t think about the consequences of serious road accidents until a family member is involved in one.
When that does happen it is not just the extent of the injuries and the long road to recovery which you can’t stop thinking about, it’s the assistance the victim received and whether the accident could have been avoided.
A family is going through that harrowing process now, as no doubt are Cabonne Shire Council and Roads and Maritime Services following the crash on Cargo Road last week.
That the young man trapped in the crash is alive today is a testament to the skill and dedication of ambulance officers and others who came to his aid and to the emergency team at Orange hospital.
This is some consolation for a distraught family but as they keep their bedside vigil it is inevitable their thoughts turn to what could have been done in the past to make the road safer - and what must be done in the future.
Cabonne Shire Council has been criticised for not shaving the crest off the Cargo Road at its intersection with Lake Canobolas Road eight years ago when road works were done.
Understandably, the council has been reluctant to comment on the safety of this intersection until a police investigation has been completed.
It has also declined to comment on residents’ complaints that it did not act after warnings about the intersection.
That is a criticism it must respond to when the police investigation is finished.
Part of that response should include an explanation of what the priorities in its roads budget have been in the past and what they will be in the future.
This intersection is the main access point for Lake Canobolas and Mount Canobolas. If work to improve visibility is beyond the council’s finances it must take the issue up with the state government.
