ROAD IDIOTS INFLUX
Foreigners, Sydneysider nabbed at dangerous speeds in half hour
A SINGAPOREAN man caught driving at 150km/h in a 100km/h zone was one of three tourists clocked at dangerous speeds on our roads within half an hour on Saturday night.
Police allege the international visitor was caught speeding on the 100km/h Princes Highway near Modewarre about 7.40pm Saturday.
Police say just 10 minutes earlier, a Hong Kong woman, 22, was busted doing 131km/h, and at 8pm, a Sydney man, 23, was clocked at 138km/h on the same stretch of road.
A MAN caught driving at 150km/h in a 100km/h zone was one of three tourists clocked at excessive speeds within half an hour on Saturday night, police say.
Highway Patrol officers detected the tourists flouting speed limits on the Princes Highway near Modewarre.
Police allege a Singaporean man, 53, was driving at 150km/ h about 7.40pm Saturday. The highway is a 100km/h zone.
Only 10 minutes earlier, a 22-year-old Hong Kong woman was detected doing 131km/h, according to police.
And, at 8pm, officers allegedly detected a 23-year-old Sydney man on the same stretch travelling at 138km/h.
Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant David Ramm said all drivers were issued with infringements and would be disqualified from driving in Victoria.
The spate of risky driving by people unfamiliar with the region’s roads follows repeated calls from residents for authorities to install more signage along the Great Ocean Road.
In February, Torquay residents said more needed to be done after dashcam footage showing a driver on the wrong side of The Esplanade heading into oncoming traffic was circulated on social media.
Five signs showing messages in English and Chinese are stationed at roadwork sites on the Great Ocean Road.
Sgt Ramm said police were continually frustrated by inexperienced drivers travelling difficult, busy roads at high and dangerous speed.
“We want people to observe the speed limit,” he said.
“People are putting their lives and other peoples’ lives at risk.”
Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan would not say if the State Government planned to roll out more signs along tourist routes, but said significant work had been done.
“Along the length of the Great Ocean Road and on busy inland routes, we have installed hundreds ‘ Drive on Left’ signs and line-marked directional arrows, to provide reminders to drivers throughout their journey,” Mr Donnellan said.
“We currently have multilingual signs at five roadwork sites along the Great Ocean Road we’re also investing in bilingual videos, digital advertising, social media and driving education materials within hire vehicles.”
Statistically international drivers and interstate drivers are involved in few crashes on Victorian Roads.
Latest VicRoads data shows they have a crash involvement of 2.6 per cent and 3.1 per cent.
Over the past two years, the State Government has developed a campaign targeting tourists by installing multilingual signage and line markings while VicRoads has developed the visiting driver road safety initiative, which focuses on visitors travelling in the busy holiday period on unfamiliar roads in unfamiliar conditions.
The program is modelled on the New Zealand international driver safety project and supported by major vehicle rental companies.
Earlier this month, Geelong Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Gary Wilson said police would continue to patrol black spots, including the Great Ocean Road where an international driver copped an $800 fine and lost his licence after driving 155km/h in a 100km/h zone on his way to the Twelve Apostles.
The Great Ocean Road is one of the roads police are targeting under a new heat mapping trial, which sees police rostered to high-trauma locations at peak danger times.
The trial is aiming to help drive down fatalities in Geelong and the Surf Coast, which is home to a quarter of the state’s most dangerous roads.