By LIA SPENCER
POLICE and Casey Council have issued a warning to drivers to be careful on the roads this winter.
Police issued the warning after more than 20 emergency vehicles were called to one stretch of road to attend to a spate of crashes which occurred within two hours on 6 July.
Between 6.50pm and 8.35pm, emergency vehicles attended eight injury collisions and two non-injury collisions between Clyde Road and Narre Warren North Road, inbound and outbound.
Sergeant Nathan Prowd said staff from VicRoads, ambulances, 10 police units, five fire trucks and about nine tow-trucks were at the scene helping crash victims and controlling traffic before the freeway was closed until conditions improved.
Sgt Prowd said wet roads and driver distraction contributed to initial crashes and urged people to be extra cautious when driving in the rain.
He also said some subsequent crashes were a result of drivers not watching the road and being distracted by the commotion.
“This amount of crashes in one stretch of road in a short time is relatively unusual.
“We had a couple crashes in a rapid succession.
“People were not driving according to conditions,” he said.
“If you are driving in the rain, you must leave extra distance.
“When you see police with lights on, you need to slow down.
“There is a reason why they have their lights on – whether they have someone pulled over or for another reasons.
“The consequences of not slowing down could be another collision. Slow down and be aware.”
Casey Council has backed the message, urging drivers to be safe particularly as children return to school from holidays.
City of Casey Mayor Amanda Stapledon said while the council worked to ensure road safety, drivers needed to do their part and drive appropriately in wet weather.
“Council is working in partnership with Victoria Police and VicRoads to keep motorists and pedestrians across the municipality safe through education, quality infrastructure and enforcement,” Cr Stapledon said.
“The City of Casey employs up to 220 supervisors to provide safe road crossing in school zones across approximately 171 sites in the municipality.
“This is one of the largest school crossing programs in the state.
“But as road conditions change during winter, motorists need to adjust their driving style and do their part to make our roads safer, especially in school zones.”
She said VicRoads data showed between 2007 and 2011, pedestrians on Casey roads made up 50 per cent of all people killed and 13 per cent of all people seriously injured.
Cr Stapledon said that there were things residents could do to ensure they were being responsible on the roads during winter including checking their tyre tread and pressure, slowing down, increasing their distance between vehicles and being aware of their surroundings.
The council’s crossing supervisors are on duty school days between 8am and 9.30am each morning and 2.30pm and 4pm each afternoon.
For more information about school crossings in the City of Casey or the council’s commitment to community safety, visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/communitysafety or contact the council’s community safety team on 9705 5200.
