Is this all the news?

This story appeared in the SMH today:

One person has been killed and 15 injured when a 4WD collided with a road train near Daly River, some 200km south west of Darwin.

Police say the driver of the Toyota Troop Carrier was the only occupant wearing a seatbelt, while a further 16 adults and children were travelling in the vehicle.

I recalled Trevor telling me about legislation that the Liberal government introduced in WA some years ago that banned people from riding in the back of utes. The govt was concerned at the number of people that were being thrown from the back of utes and killed.

What no one said is that most of those that were killed were black, and that the deaths were all happening out in the middle of nowhere - Warburton Mission and places like that. The media however made it sound like it was white farmers from Northam that were being killed instead.

Trevor completely rubbished the legislation because it was totally stupid.

If you're in an Aboriginal community a thousand miles from anywhere, and you've got one running vehicle and you want to go visit Aunt May at the next community 100km away, it's not like you can call for a taxi or take the train or wait for a bus. You just go in whatever you have available. And it's not like the kids can ride their bikes that far. Everyone crams in and off you go.

We did this at Uni - I had a station wagon that could fit 10 people, providing 5 or so lay down in the bit at the back. It's what you door when your transport options are piss poor. Or 9 out of 10 of you are too drunk to drive, so you just leave the other cars at the party and squish in for the ride home. Going over speed bumps was always a challenge.

The other stupid thing about the legislation is that there are no cops out in the boonies to enforce it. And what are they going to do if they pull over a ute with 15 blackfellas in it if they are 100kms from the nearest town, and without water or shelter? Tell them to get out and walk? Don't be stupid. The cops aren't going to issue a ticket - at most, they might turf a few out and give them a lift in the back of the paddy wagon.

So, are we getting the full story on this horror smash? Is the media too chicken to say, "The vehicle was overloaded with blackfellas?"

I drove Landcruiser troop carriers when I was in the Reserves. We stripped them down to the bare minimum - no doors, roof, windscreen etc - totally open, so you could jump out the sides or over the back or wherever. The most we could ever fit into one was 12 troops - two up front (me and the co-driver) and 10 in the back, and even that was a squeeze. 10 was more comfortable. Landcruisers might be sizeable, but they are not that big.