By Georgia Westgarth
IT’S been Victoria’s worst start to the year for road fatalities since 2008 and new measures have been announced to help curb the rise.
Narre Warren North MP and Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan and Police Minister Lisa Neville, announced a funding boost that would see additional police deployed for road safety enforcement.
A State Government meeting on Sunday 4 September approved 1000 additional police shifts over the next four months, with the resources being used to target high-risk driving behaviours.
Mr Donnellan said the Transport Accident Commission would provide funding for the extra shifts under a new $12 million ‘Enhanced Enforcement Program’ over the next three years.
The announcement comes just days after the Endeavour Hills police station started a four-month trial to their opening hours, which will see it closed on weekend nights.
Once touted as a 24/7 police station, the station will be closed to the public at 5pm rather than 11pm on weekends but police patrols on those nights will be increased.
Police say a review found low numbers of public attendances and phone calls to the station, particularly on weekends.
Mr Donnellan said: “We know that enforcement and public education are the two areas where we can have an immediate impact on the way people use our roads”.
The Ministerial Council for Road Safety agreed to fast track money from the program, enabling Police Command to offer extra shifts to members on their days off between now and Christmas.
Ms Neville said Victorians could expect to see more marked police cars patrolling the state’s roads and highways, targeting speed and drink driving, especially on rural roads, where the majority of the deaths have occurred.
“Victorians can expect the most visible police presence in the lead-up to Christmas in the state’s history, with more speed enforcement, more random breath tests and more members on the roads working to keep every road user safe,” Ms Neville said.
The enhanced police presence will be backed by TAC public education and community engagement activities, reminding Victorians that police will be out in large numbers to protect them on the roads.
Mr Donnellan said everyone had an important role to play if we wanted a future where no person dies or is seriously injured on our roads.
“The significant investments we’re making in these areas will make Victorians think twice before putting their own lives or the lives of others at risks on our roads,” Mr Donnellan said.
The Labor Government this year announced $1.1 billion package of initiatives to reduce lives lost on Victorian roads to below 200 by 2020.
