DEFENSIVE DRIVING TRAINING NEEDED TO REDUCE THE STATE'S ROAD TOLL

The Transport Workers' Union is calling on the Queensland Government to make defensive driving lessons compulsory when acquiring a Queensland license.

The call comes following Saturday nights horrific crash in Toowoomba that claimed the lives of two teenagers, injured 4 others, bringing the State's road toll to 128, 22 more than this time last year.

TWU Branch Secretary Hughie Williams said the increasing loss of life on Queensland's roads needs to stop.

"Families are suffering, the community are suffering and the State suffers financially from fatalities on our roads".

(In 1996 each road death cost $1.7 million and each injury incident $408,000). Bureau of Transport Economics data.

Mr Williams calls on the Queensland Government to amend the current license requirements and make defensive driving courses compulsory to save lives on our roads.

The TWU is a long time campaigner for safety on our roads and has written to the Transport Minister seeking an urgent meeting to discuss this issue further.