Warning to take care on our roads

POLICE will ramp up road safety enforcement across Geelong and the Surf Coast as regional Victorians enjoy their first weekend out of lockdown.

Authorities are preparing for higher traffic volumes as the regions open up.

In the Geelong region this year, eight people have died on the roads, one less than at the same time last year.

In 2020, a total of 11 people died on the region’s roads.

Roads and Road Safety Minister Ben Carroll said more traffic should not lead to increased road trauma.

“The Geelong region is home to some of Victoria’s most popular destinations, and with restrictions easing in regional Victoria, we can expect to see higher traffic volumes throughout the region,” Mr Carroll said.

“We don’t accept that more traffic should inevitably result in more road trauma. That’s why we’re asking people to take extra precautions on our roads – slow down, don’t drink and drive, avoid distractions, and avoid driving tired.”

New data from the TAC’s community engagement and social acceptability research study shows two-thirds of Victorian motorists believe it’s safe to exceed the limit by up to 10km/h. It found exceeding the speed limit by just small amounts significantly increases the risk of crashing.

TAC head of road safety Samantha Cockfield said it was important drivers played their part in reducing road trauma.

“Our data tells us that it is overwhelmingly local people dying on their local roads, and this just shows that road safety needs to be front of mind every time you get behind the wheel, no matter how familiar you are with your surroundings,” she said.

The new Victorian Road Safety Strategy aims to halve number of fatalities and reduce serious injury by 2030.