Return to school prompts safety plea from authorities

Published date: 25 Jan 2024

Victorians planning their final road trip of the summer school holidays are being urged to drive safely, with busy roads expected as the holiday period comes to a close.

The Transport Accident Commission is asking Victorians to take every precaution necessary to avoid more families being torn apart by road trauma, following a devastating 2023 on the state’s roads.

While the number of lives lost on Victorian roads is down on this time last year, tragically, 19 people have already died in crashes in January – including three school-aged children.

TAC CEO Tracey Slatter urged road users to look out for each other, slow down and make safe choices to ensure every journey is a safe one this long weekend and beyond.

“Tragically, there’s three children that won’t be returning to school next week because of road trauma. This is a devastating reminder that our choices on the roads can change lives forever.”

“Every time someone dies on our roads, that’s another family losing someone they love – so please, slow down and drive safely,” Ms Slatter said.

Death and serious injury on high-speed roads continues to be an issue across the state, where people are often driving longer distances and factors like fatigue, distractions and concentration lapses can lead to severe consequences.

Speed remains one of the biggest factors in collisions on Victorian roads, contributing to more than 30 per cent of crashes. While it is not always the cause of the crash, the speed of a vehicle at impact will always determine how badly people are hurt as a result.

“When embarking on a road trip, people should ensure they get a good night’s sleep before driving, allow plenty of travel time, drive to the conditions, remove distractions, and take regular breaks,” Ms Slatter said.

To support Victorians to avoid driving tired, the TAC has partnered with the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC), with 14 ‘Pause Stop’ locations set up in Visitor Information Centres across the state.

Each ‘Pause Stop’ location provides visitors with a range of resources, including information on how to avoid drowsy driving, activities to keep the kids entertained, and help planning a safe journey ahead.

Drivers are also being reminded that with schools across the state returning next week, 40km/h school zones will be back in effect from Monday, 29 January.

Plan a safe journey and arrange your rest stops.