MEDIA Teenager Dead Eyre Highway 2007 RIP Dion Prater

Major Crash investigation is complete and I have the FULL REPORT into the accident it happened approx 1 am on 8 August 2007, Young drivers it is so important to me that you think about how driving while fatigued can affect your reflexes when driving very long distances. Even for an experienced driver like myself, it is just so hard to make a day trip from Whyalla to Adelaide, and back again in 24 hours. my son wasn't doing anything wrong,DION was under pressure to bring his fathers car home before morning,no alcohol, no drugs and NO SPEED were involved in this accident, he had been on the road driving since about 7 am on the 7 August. I was not even aware that he had driven to Adelaide. He only had his license for 2 weeks. he was also inexperienced, at highway driving. PLEASE REVIVE AND SURVIVE

TWICE MY FAMILY HAS NOW BEEN AFFECTED BY ROAD ACCIDENT DEATHS

TEENAGERS SHOULD NOT BE DRIVING

The number of young drivers killed or seriously injured in road crashes is a serious problem in all states of Australia. Young people aged 16 to 25 make up 13% of Australia's population but account for nearly 25% of road deaths.

Young drivers exhibit certain attributes that contribute to their higher risk of road crashes. These include: * Lack of experience * Risk taking behaviour * The use of older vehicles with less safety features * Speeding * Peer pressure
Findings * Young drivers aged 16 to 20 had the highest rate of all age groups at 150 casualties per 100,000 population (3 to 4 times higher than some) * Drivers aged 21 to 25 had the second highest rate at 119 casualties per 100,000 population.
On average between 1999-2003, for drivers in the 16-25 year age group who were killed or seriously injured: * 38% of drivers who were killed had a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) of .05 or above and 23% of drivers seriously injured recorded a BAC of .05 or above * 13% were not wearing a seat belt * 54% occurred on Friday, Saturday or Sunday * 24% occurred between 4-5pm, 6-8pm or 12-1am * 53% were on country roads and 42% on roads signposted as 100km/h or 110km/h * 63% were male.

What types of cars were involved?
Australian research found: * Young drivers often drive older, cheaper vehicles that are likely to have fewer safety features than newer vehicles * most young drivers involved in fatal crashes were driving fairly ordinary cars * very few were driving high performance vehicles.

Night driving
Young drivers are more likely to drive at night and on weekends than older drivers. * 55% of young drivers aged 16-25 are killed or seriously injured in crashes that occur during the night compared with 37% of other drivers * Nearly 40% of young driver serious casualties occurred on the weekend, compared with 30% for other drivers.

Driving at night has unique hazards and requires more developed skills. All drivers have an elevated crash risk at night. This is greater for younger drivers because of lack of experience and higher involvement in risk taking.

Driver fatigue may be a factor in up to 30% of fatal crashes and up to 15% of serious injury crashes.

Being tired while driving does not just concern anyone driving a long distance. It can affect shift-workers, parents/carers of young children who haven't had much sleep and also those with sleep problems. It is as much a problem for city as country drivers.
Researchers have found: * driving after being awake for 17 hours brings a similar crash risk to a blood alcohol level of 0.05 * driving after 24 hours without sleep corresponds to a blood alcohol level of 0.10.

Three main causes of fatigue are: * lack of sleep * driving when you would normally be asleep * engaging in long, stressful or repetitive tasks before or during driving.

How can I avoid driver fatigue? * Planning before you drive is the key to avoiding fatigue. Drivers and those who travel with them should: * have sufficient sleep before a trip * allow for regular breaks during long periods of driving, eg 15 minutes every two hours * if possible, share the driving with someone else.

What do I need to look out for?
Often drivers do not realise they are becoming fatigued, but passengers can help them recognise it.

Watch for: * impatience, lack of concentration or slow reaction times * sweaty hands, hunger, thirst, stiffness or cramp * wandering over the centre-line or road edge * changes in driving speeds; or poor gear changes * signs you are feeling drowsy, such as yawning * sore, heavy eyes and blurred or dim vision * droning or humming in the ears.

Heavy vehicle drivers
Fatigue is an important health and safety issue for heavy vehicle drivers. An Australian survey in 2000 found that 45% of long distance heavy vehicle drivers had experienced fatigue during their last trip.

Category:

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Tags:

• Dead
• Teen
• Reviver
• Fatal
• Crash
• Eyre
• Highway
• Dion
• Prater
• Death
• Education
• Police
• Emergency
• MediaTransport
• South
• Australia

[djderk]

its called darwin. stupid teenagers kill themselves because they are dumb. i have safely driven since i was 15.

let the morons kill themselves.

[mumandtwins]

@djderk you dont get it do you?? Dion was doing NOTHING wrong, no speed, no alcohol, no drugs just doing as his father requested, no he was NOT a moron on the road, just inexperienced at highway driving, only had his license for 2 weeks. I hope this NEVER happens in your family

[djderk]

yes, i get it. but if someone does stupid things, they have a higher chance of dying.

[mumandtwins]

@djderk and in this case the car belonged to his father, and his father had the power to say no, to Dion taking the car on the highway in the first place. however that being done, his father should have encouraged Dion to stay in Adelaide as Dion had planned to do, instead of putting needless pressure on him to bring the car back before morning, a bit of root cause analysis, still not all the what ifs in the world, will not bring him back this is why I put this vid up here

[amd64online]

I use these videos to try to change my behavior on the road. The rush you get driving near 200 is like being hypnotised, you just can't let go. I have lost 2 school friends in different crashes, i feel like they are a story book that will never end. They will never feel hardship & triumph, love & loss, all that makes life worth experiencing because of one moment in time they made the wrong decision. You may think you are the best driver but what about the car infront? I hope I learn soon enough

[mumandtwins]

you are on to a good start then

[yousefina26]

i just want u 2 know ur not alone...i think u have a big heart coz ur trying 2 warn others from doing or letting same thing happen 2 them. i hope u reach out 2 many people... and i hope u can save even 1 life with ur story. i wish u all the power+luck and sucsess of this world. i hope u can find happyness again and let ur self enjoy life and its happy moments with good people. thouse we loose r only lost in the fysical way---but belive me he is by ur side---watching and protecting u always.

[Tm17sep]

i'm so sorry for u'r lost-i've lost my best friend in a bike crash so i kinda know what pain and sorrow is.........

[Pufinated]

I am Sorry for your loss aswell. Trolls wouldnt like it if something like this would happen to Them or one of their known. Car crashes dont always mean the driver is a bad, a rule breaking or a drug/alcohol abusing person, some people think: "Drugs" or "Alcohol" Before they even have an idea of what caused the crash/accident.

[Bllasae]

@mumandtwins

The thing is though, that teenagers should be able to drive if they're responsible. Here (in my country), you're not even allowed to drive on highways with your first license. Sorry for your loss. Hopefully this happens to nobody else.

[jonnyc228]

thanks for posting.

[3yearappentice]

@mumandtwins sorry for your loss stay strong

[nathanpisces]

im very sorry for your loss, you have my deepest sympathy, i lost my mum when i was 8 a few days after my birthday giving birthday to my brother 2 months previously, lost toom uch blood though :( im 16 now, but it neve fades :( yet they will want us to move on, and be happy :) i wish you all the best wth you life, and hope brighter times lie in front of you till the end :) x

[ConTheFruiterer]

So sorry for your loss. All these people leaving nasty comments seriously need a good hard look at themselves.

When one dies in a tragic circumstance regardless the reason it is the ultimate punishment...and for what?? RIP

[Jeycihn]

All teens make bad decisions, some of us are just lucky enough to escape, the rest become examples and hopefully save more in the process. The real morons are the people that think they're above this, or refuse to learn anything at all from it.

[matthonan1]

@djderk your a dick