Forum focuses on road safety

BETTER quality speed cameras and improved mobile phone detection are two areas the Government is focusing on to reduce the state’s soaring road toll.

Residents got to take their road safety concerns directly to Police and Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville last night as part of a regional road safety forum.

Ten people have been killed on Greater Geelong roads so far this year, including six drivers, two pedestrians, one passenger and one motorcyclist — six more fatalities than the same time last year.

The latest fatality occurred yesterday afternoon in Ms Neville’s Bellarine electorate after a car crashed into a house at St Leonards.

Ms Neville, who opened last night’s Towards Zero Regional Road Safety Forum at GMHBA Stadium, said the Government remained committed to tackling the increasing rates of death and injury on our roads.

“Every morning I receive an email — about 7.30am — giving me the updated details of lives lost on our roads,” she said.

“This morning (Wednesday) the total lives lost was 185 — that’s 61 more than last year.

“It’s been a horrible year with an increase of around 50 per cent on the same time last year

“So that’s 185 people who won’t join their families or friends this year at Christmas.”

Ms Neville said this year’s deaths have been overwhelmingly on regional roads with the vast majority in the Western District — about 40 per cent.

She said enforcement was a major contribution in changing driver behaviour.

This included an increased investment in this year’s Budget on better speed cameras.

She said the Government was also looking at improved mobile phone use detection, which combined could save 60 lives a year and 260 serious injuries.

Ms Neville said Australia still allowed one-star rated cars into the country and our ANCAP rating system was not as robust as overseas.

“We have to make sure our kids have safe cars, not cheap old first cars,” she said.

“There’s no question that speed is a major contributor, we need to make sure speeds reflect the conditions.

“We need to make sure that we design and plan roads with road safety in mind.

“We know that the wire rope barriers have also saved lives.”

Ms Neville said Geelong Highway Patrol had been given two new members and more were coming.

Extra operations were also planned targeting hoon driving, drink-driving, and increased targeting of mobile phone use and speeding.