Lowest road toll on record but the campaign goes on

04 Jan 2009

MEDIA RELEASE: 4 January 2009

Victoria has recorded the lowest road toll since records began in 1952 with 295 people losing their lives on Victorian roads during 2009.

Minister for Roads and Ports Tim Pallas said while the result was encouraging the government's efforts to drive the road toll even lower would continue this year.

"Every life lost on our roads is one too many," Mr Pallas said.

"While I would like to thank VicRoads, the TAC, Victoria Police, and other organisations for helping us reach this goal our work certainly does not stop here. We will be continuing our efforts to make Victoria's roads as safe as possible."

Mr Pallas said statistics released today showed a number of improving trends compared with 2008:

• Pedestrians – reduction of 9 (15 per cent) overall and a reduction of 8 (45 per cent) in country Victoria;
• Motorcycles – reduction of 5 (12 per cent);
• Significant reduction in road deaths in metropolitan areas – there were 147 metropolitan deaths in 2009 compared to 166 in 2008;
• 21-25 year old drivers and passengers – a reduction of nine (31 per cent).

However, the following road user groups have experienced increased fatalities:

• 18-20 year old passengers – an increase of 8 (110 per cent);
• Drivers and passengers in country Victoria - an increase of 17 (17 per cent).

He said Victoria had now reached the target set in the National Road Safety Strategy of reducing the road toll to a rate of 5.6 deaths per 100,000 head of population by end of 2010.

"While there has been an overall improvement in the 2009 road toll compared to 2008, the Christmas holiday road toll is disappointing. As at midnight last night the holiday road toll is 16. That's 16 people who should have been enjoying the festive season with their families," Mr Pallas said.

"Each day dozens of people are admitted to hospital because of serious injuries received in road accidents in Victoria's hidden road toll. These numbers do not take into account the impact of these crashes on families and friends of those killed or seriously injured."

Mr Pallas said the Brumby Government had continued its commitment to road safety under its arrive alive strategy, which sets an aggressive goal to cut the road toll and reduce serious injuries by 30 per cent.

"Under the strategy, we have seen a record number of public education campaigns, tougher enforcement, the introduction of new road rules as well as improved road infrastructure that have contributed to the reduced road toll," Mr Pallas said.

"We have continued to implement speed reductions in high pedestrian activity areas such as strip shopping centres and consistent slower school speed zones across the state. While the Brumby Government is working to reduce the road toll, the responsibility lies with motorists to drive safely and all other road users to act responsibly at all times."

2009 saw the introduction of further measures to tackle the road toll:

• Increased penalties for offences including not wearing seatbelts and use of mobiles;
• Additional drug testing;
• New targeted and highly visible enforcement measures;
• Extension of reduced speed limits on strip shopping centres to a further five sites;
• Community policing and enforcement program to improve motorcycle safety; and
• Introduction of the Intelligent Access Program to monitor the movement of heavy cranes and concrete pump trucks to ensure that they stay on the safe pre-approved routes.

In 2009, the Brumby Labor Government also introduced a range of initiatives to ensure that there is a continuing focus on road safety in the future to help drive the toll down further:

• Rewriting the full set of road safety regulations and implementation of a new suite of road rules;
• Funding for a further 19 strip shopping centres to have reduced speed limits by 2011;
• Mandating Electronic Stability Control for new cars from 1 January, 2011;
• Introducing a tough new focus on drink driving with drivers who record a BAC of 0.10 or higher losing their licence immediately; and
• Automatic licence suspension for drug driving.

"I urge all Victorians to heed the road safety message and build on the gains we've made over recent years," Mr Pallas said.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner for Road Policing Ken Lay said the record low road toll was no cause for celebration.

"I'm grateful for the hard work of the members who gave up their Christmas and New Year to police Victoria's roads," Mr Lay said.

"To come in under 300 is a step in the right direction and I'm thankful for the contribution made by the TAC and VicRoads in helping achieve this record low. But to put it frankly, I'm disgusted that 16 people have been killed on our roads during the two-week Christmas and New Year period.

"On top of that we've booked more than 750 drivers for drink driving, 5000 motorists for exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 km/h and about 1100 for driving more than 25 km/h over the limit during Operation Aegis.

"That tells me that everyday people, people who consider themselves law-abiding citizens, are intentionally making the decision to endanger not only their own lives, but the lives of others. For 50 weeks a year, our enforcement model is working. But for two weeks at the end of the year, data shows you're 50 per cent more likely to be killed on the roads."

Mr Lay said he sensed a portion of the community thought a road toll under 300 was acceptable.