STATE PUSHING ROAD AWARENESS
VICTORIAN Roads Minister Luke Donnellan has remained coy about a push for authorities to crack down on dangerous tourists behind the wheel.
In response to questions from the Geelong Advertiser, Mr Donnellan did not say whether the Government would act on calls for stronger car impound laws targeting foreign travellers.
As revealed yesterday, former policeman Simon Illingworth, now a Corangamite Shire councillor, wants measures introduced, including giving police the power to seize vehicles driven dangerously because of a driver’s lack of road knowledge.
Cr Illingworth has also called for mandatory Keep Left stickers on the steering wheels of hire cars.
On Thursday a European tourist was left in a critical condition after reportedly driving on the wrong side of the road and colliding headon with a truck in Wurdiboluc.
While Mr Donnellan did nationals rolled near Apollo Bay, while in February, two pedestrians were injured when Chinese tourists in a hire car ploughed into the Anglesea Bendigo Bank.
The push for measures to target foreign drivers has drawn support from Avalon Airport chief executive Justin Giddings.
“I believe that they’re practical, not difficult to implement and shouldn’t discourage tourism,” Mr Giddings said.
Although the airport does not take international flights, he said it had seen a surge in foreign tourists — particularly from China — using the airport for domestic travel.
He said many hired a car from the airport to visit the Great Ocean Road.
In the past 12 months, VicRoads has targeted the popular tourist route with more Drive on Left signs and line-marked directional arrows on the road.
VicRoads regional director Mark Koliba said the agency was trying to ensure traffic rules were clear and easy to understand, but he did not say if he supported the idea of mandatory stickers in hire cars.
In an interview with the Geelong Advertiser last week — before Thursday’s crash — Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer said being respectful on the region’s roads was particularly important in the summer period.
Mr Fryer said thousands of tourists flocked to the sights of the Bellarine Peninsula and the Surf Coast to enjoy its beauty.
“What I see as dangerous is the impatience of other drivers. The problem with intolerance on the road is it makes . . . a driver more uncomfortable and they make mistakes,” he said.
“We need everyone to be patient, there will be more cars on the roads, particularly towards the coast and they’ll be unfamiliar with the roads.”
Mr Fryer said motorists must drive to the road conditions and their ability.
And if that is not at 100km/h, others must “cut them some slack” and allow them to get to their destinations safely, he said.
“The worst thing anybody could do is push them or intimidate them or tailgate them,” he said.
“Let everyone enjoy the Christmas period . . . they want to come down and enjoy the local community.”