DANGER DRIVE
REVEALED: Geelong's most treacherous road
THE Princes Highway between Corio and central Geelong is the region’s most dangerous road.
Four people have died on the stretch in the past 12 months, while police and
TAC figures revealed it has the highest rate of serious injury.
The data also showed the most dangerous times to be on Geelong roads were between 5-6pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights – a change from July when Fridays (6pm) and Sundays ( 1pm) were of highest risk. Weekends are a problem on the coast.
Geelong’s top road cop Sen-Sgt Shane Coles said Geelong’s road trauma was proving a challenge for police. He said Portarling- ton and Barwon Heads roads were of high concern, while other problem areas included east of the Geelong Ring Road between Melbourne Rd and Thompson Rd.
‘‘All our trauma is coming from this area due to the
large volume of traffic travelling through the area,’’ Sen-Sgt Coles said.
‘‘Due to recent accidents on our roads we must continue to be vigilant, in particular the high number of motorcyclists who head down to the Surf Coast this
time of year and into the summer period.’’
Police revealed there had been 11 deaths, 156 serious injuries and 298 minor injuries occur on Geelong roads since last October.
A PROBATIONARY driver who drove at 140km/ h with his two young children in the back seat has been blasted by a Geelong Magistrate.
‘‘Did it ever occur to you that it might be dangerous for children, aged four and two years, to be sitting in the back seat of a car doing 140km/ h?’’ Magistrate Ann McGarvie asked Christopher Jacobs yesterday.
‘‘ Not really,’’ he replied.
Jacobs, 23, of Corio, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday to two counts each of speeding, breaching licence conditions by failing to have an alcohol interlock device fitted and failing to display P-plates.
Police Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Kylie Jane said that on May 6 this year Jacobs was clocked driving at 111km/ h in an 80km/ h zone on the Warburton Highway, east of Melbourne.
‘‘The car was not fitted with an interlock device and was not displaying P- plates,’’ she said. ‘‘ On August 27, 2012, Jacobs was driving east on the Hamilton Highway, near Lismore, when police caught him travelling at 140 km/h in a 100km/h zone.
‘‘This time he had his partner in the front passenger seat and two young children in the back.
‘‘There was no interlock device fitted and the car was not displaying P-plates.’’
The court was told that in January this year, Jacobs was ordered to have an alcohol interlock device fitted to his car for six months as a result of a previous drink driving matter.
J a c o b s , who was unrepresented, told Geelong court he had set the cruise control at 140km/h and was in a hurry to get home because his partner was ‘‘ unwell and feeling dizzy’’.
When asked by Ms McGarvie what he wanted to say about the matters before the court, Jacobs replied: ‘‘Nothing really. There was no excuse for speeding, it was stupid.’’
Ms McGarvie said that children had no control over what adults chose to do in a car.
‘‘They just have to sit there and deal with it,’’ she said.
‘‘You ignored a court order and put the lives of your children and the community at risk by speeding in this way.’’
Jacobs was convicted on all counts, fined $2000 and disqualified f rom driving f or 12 months.