Crashing holiday road toll numbers under body count of 2007

Ethan Switch - Monday, 7 January 2008 - 13:36:23 - print it raw

Sweep away the rotting flowers and kick over the 46 body bags steaming in the summer sun. Slow turn out on the bloody roads over the Christmas and New Years' holiday period. Down a considerable notch from the stellar piling effort of the 63 dead in 2007.

Out and eager to stake the heads up on the race to carve up the stakes, Victoria with the first claim of the road toll season. Note the impressive jump start which in the end left the state on the move well into a first place finishing. Three shy of a score at 17. One up from the previous outing. But not every one is a happy camper, police saying, "Victoria's road toll not good enough."

Close on their bumper, Western Australia out from nowhere to show up the other states as they nick one over a ton hitting a limb or two into two skinny legs 11. A nice and foreboding clock on the doors as they pick up the slack of four from last year.

Most disappointing turn out this holiday round coming from New South Wales. Shocking with a drop of eleven with their numbers only able to wrap 8 around the old gum tree.

Another look of shame east of the big brown land as Queensland drop to broken shins nine under from a year ago. Wheeling in 4 corpses to the party that stays around all year long along the roadside. Flowers for the pickings and florists are ready for your bouquet request.

Locking down a tie for second last losers, ACT and South Australia notching two bodies on their roads. ACT improving on previous year's numbers with SA clipping one over the ear and down.

Edging each other out of the hollow wooden spoon, both Tasmania and the Northern Territory were able to at least bring a char grill to the feast at one a piece. NT staying the same as last year with a sad look on Tasmania as they were down on the three that saw them a little higher in the count in 2007.